Anthony Joshua’s ‘unbelievable’ training with Oleksandr Usyk leaves Eddie Hearn in shock

Eddie Hearn has admitted that Anthony Joshua has received an “unbelievable lift” from doing “incredible” training with Oleksandr Usyk in Ukraine.

Last month, Joshua began training with Usyk in the latter’s home country, four months after the British boxer survived a car crash that claimed the lives of two of his teammates.

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Joshua’s fighting future seemed up in the air after the accident in Nigeria, but he was quick to return to the gym and soon joined Usyk in Ukraine, where the unified heavyweight champion has been putting “AJ” through his paces.

What makes their bond even more intriguing is their in-ring history, with Usyk having outpointed Joshua in two world-title fights – dethroning AJ in 2021, and retaining the unified belts in their 2022 rematch.

And according to Joshua’s promoter Hearn, who spoke to The Independent and other publications on Tuesday, the old rivals’ joint-training has given AJ “an unbelievable lift”.

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“When I was there, he’d be doing these circuits, like he’s doing these tempo sprints,” Hearn said. “Most people do those sprints on their own, with nothing else attached; he would do his sprints, then he’d go over and do this kettle-bell circuit, then he’d do sledge – with this f***ing big fitness trainer standing on the sledge. Then he’d go back into the sprints. I’m like: ‘What the f***?’

“When he started, I went to the guy: ‘How many are you doing?’ He went, ‘Three, because he’s just coming back to training.’ I went, ‘Three, is that all?’ because I thought that was all [he was doing, sprints]. He went: ‘Okay, we’ll do five.’ AJ went: ‘F***, mate, you’re never coming back!’

“In the last session, you saw the little bit about the pineapple and coconut or whatever it was [that Usyk was motivating Joshua with], but what you didn’t see was times when AJ was all out on his heart rate and Usyk was going: ‘Push, push, push.’ I’m watching, going: ‘This is f***ing unbelievable, what I’m seeing.’ You’ve got the pound-for-pound No 1, you’ve got the guy who he beat twice – who’s probably the biggest star in the sport – and it’s incredible.

“So, what he’s gonna get out of it is gonna be amazing. I’ve always been confident he beats Tyson Fury, but I’m so sure he beats Tyson Fury.”

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Hearn was referring to fresh negotiations between Joshua and his compatriot Fury, a fellow ex-heavyweight champion.

On Saturday, Fury ended his fifth retirement and boxed Arslanbek Makhmudov, outpointing the Russian at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where Joshua watched from ringside. Fury, 37, called Joshua, 36, into the ring but the latter declined, though AJ did say he would fight the “Gypsy King” in the near future.

On Tuesday, Hearn told The Independent and others that Joshua will almost certainly face another foe before boxing Fury, and he added that his fighter is likely to train with Usyk for both bouts.

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“I think, at the moment, he’s very happy obviously,” said Hearn, 46. “The plan is those two fights, he’ll certainly be [training with Usyk] for those two fights, and look: sometimes [Joshua] talks like he’s got another three or five years in this sport, but you can get beat and everything changes, you know? But right now, I think it’s really what he needs.

“I think when he wasn’t in that camp…. He’s worked so hard to get himself physically ready to try and go back to full-time camp, but then when he went there the last two weeks and he came home for a week… He’s back there now, he went on Sunday, and it’s good for him. I think when he’s there and he’s focused and he’s got that purpose, I think it’s really good for him.”

The Independent also spoke to Usyk on Tuesday, with the Ukrainian predicting that Joshua will beat Fury if the Britons finally square off.

Usyk, who also holds two decision wins over Fury, said: “I know he wins, but I don’t know [how]. I looked at how Anthony is training, he’s a machine […] Listen, it’s not a good performance [by Fury, against Makhmudov] for me, but Tyson wins, [so] it’s good.”