ANTHONY JOSHUA has stayed in Sheffield for the entirety of his training camp for Oleksandr Usyk after buying a three-bedroom house.
The 31-year-old is preparing to defend his WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight belts against the unbeaten Ukrainian at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next week.
Joshua is looking in great shape for the dust-up, with fans left stunned by his leaner physique.
And AJ’s new trimmed look could be due to him having more time to train in Sheffield alongside Rob McCracken at the English Institute of Sport.
During previous training camps, Joshua has stayed in a humble flat in the Steel City, with the British star returning to London on the weekends.
But according to the Daily Mail, the two-time world champion bought a three-bedroom house in Sheffield last year, with the boxer spending his whole time there ahead of his bout with Usyk.
Joshua believes the reduced time on the road back to the capital will make an important difference.
Speaking to the news outlet about his lighter build, Joshua said: “I’m tired. There is a lot of fatigue in camp. Right now, you can see light at the end of the tunnel.
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“I have been heading through it and there are long weeks ahead, but you are saying to yourself, ‘Come on, nearly done, just stick with it. It is round the corner’.
“I wish the fight was tomorrow, because it’s fatigue on the brain, fatigue on the body, staying consistent for such a long period of time during camp.
“But I am a professional, dedicated to this cause. This is me. I am a fighter.”
And Joshua, who has revealed a fight to face Tyson Fury WILL happen in the future, has spoken of his respect for fellow 2012 Olympic gold medallist Usyk.
He added: “Talent-wise I love the challenge of this guy because he has done well and he wants it.
“He is a God-fearing man, very religious, comes from a lineage of great champions like Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko, Vasyl Lomachenko. He puts the effort in and gets results.
“Yeah, he’s passionate and dedicated to his cause, which makes him a confident person. He likes to have laughs, and has fun with his work.
“I have seen mad people and he isn’t a mad person. He is just fun. He is having fun because he knows what he is doing.
“Believe me, there is a lot of respect there.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk