ANTHONY JOSHUA is taking serious precautions not to catch coronavirus ahead of his world title fight against Oleksandr Usyk.
The Brit will lay his WBA, WBO and IBF belts on the line to take on the unbeaten Ukrainian on September 24.
And having seen what happened to his heavyweight rival Tyson Fury, who contracted Covid-19 and had and had to postpone his trilogy against Wilder, Joshua is taking no risks.
His promoter Eddie Hearn told the DAZN Boxing Show: “You got to take precautions. AJ, if you go up to his camp, it’s super, super high level.
“And the precautions they take, very high high-end – Usyk I believe the same.”
Fury was scheduled to fight Wilder on July 24, but a Covid outbreak in camp saw that pushed back to October 4.
It left the Gypsy King’s US promoter Bob Arum seething, describing it as a ‘a complete f*** up’.
Joshua, meanwhile, will not carry out any public engagements before the fight and will isolate himself from the general public.
And the Watford brawler has been warned not to ‘sit off’ and allow Usyk time and space in their Tottenham tussle.
Usyk’s footwork and ability to glide in and out of range will be Joshua’s two biggest problems on fight night, which the recently-retired Luke Campbell reckons AJ can offset by putting the slick southpaw on the backfoot.
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He told The Mirror: “I think it is a great fight, Usyk is an unbelievable talent.
“His technique and boxing IQ is certainly up there with the best, but is he a heavyweight?
“I don’t think he is quite a heavyweight to be honest, this is where Joshua has the advantage.
“Joshua has got quick hands, and is a big strong heavyweight so if he imposes his strengths I think he will win the fight.
“If he sits off it could be Usyk’s night, and I can’t see Usyk wanting to get involved in a big strong heavyweight like Joshua. So his tactics will mostly be to make him miss, move around.
“Joshua has to put it on him.”
Victory over Usyk will see Joshua, 32, do his part to preserve a blockbuster undisputed heavyweight title fight with Fury, which was due to take place in Saudi Arabia this summer.
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Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
