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      Anthony Joshua set for biggest fight of his life against Oleksandr Usyk with more than just world titles on the line

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      ANTHONY JOSHUA rematches Oleksandr Usyk knowing his career could depend on avenging the defeat he suffered last September.Victory for AJ in Saudi Arabia regains him the unified titles, revives talk of a super-fight with Tyson Fury and wins back the respect of boxing fans.
      Anthony Joshua was beaten by Oleksandr Usyk in SeptemberCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      Anthony Joshua ahead of his rematch with Oleksandr UsykCredit: Getty
      Although already he should have been commended for taking the bout in the first place when many others would have found a way to swerve the unbeaten southpaw.
      But Joshua, who weighed 17st 6lb yesterday, only has himself to blame for the result, as he neglected his size and weight advantage to try and outfox Ukraine’s master boxer.
      Now, the 2012 Olympic gold medalist leaves himself with it all to do in the rematch, with the stakes higher than ever.
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      Ex-world champions Johnny Nelson and Kell Brook – both mentored in Brendan Ingle’s iconic Sheffield gym – suggested AJ will RETIRE if he loses again.
      In reality, he has signed a long-term deal with sports streaming service DAZN, which only comes into play after the weekend.
      And losing to arguably boxing’s pound-for-pound No1 is not something that should signal the end of a career.
      But, double defeat to Usyk leaves promoter Eddie Hearn with a real job on his hands in convincing fans and anyone else that AJ can come again.
      A second loss makes Joshua’s road back to the glory days longer than ever, but it does not necessarily spell the end completely.
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      You only have to look at Mike Tyson’s infamous plight following two defeats to Evander Holyfield as evidence.
      After losing the rematch in disgrace by biting Holyfield’s ear, Hall of Fame manager Shelly Finkel took control of Tyson’s career.
      And despite the DQ and public shame, still Iron Mike went on to headline six more times on pay-per-view.
      But the worrying factor is, only one of them was for the heavyweight title, which was against Britain’s Lennox Lewis.
      And by the time it came around, both were out of their primes with Tyson at 35 and even Lewis at 36.
      The fight is evidence that even if AJ loses to Usyk, a grudge match with Fury can still be restored.
      But if Tyson’s performance is anything to go by, sometimes the blockbuster bouts on paper just are not worth the wait.

      🥊AJ vs Usyk 2 confirmed fight time, TV and live stream info for tonight’s blockbuster
      Like was the case with Tyson, there are still plenty of other names for AJ out there if he does succumb to a third career loss.
      A rematch with Dillian Whyte, a trilogy against Andy Ruiz Jr, and even fighting Joe Joyce or Deontay Wilder guarantees PPVs and ticket sales.
      But if Tyson was to have beaten Holyfield, how different would the backend of his career looked?
      For Joshua, if he upsets the bookmakers and rips the WBA, IBF and WBO belts back off Usyk, arguably his stock is greater than ever.
      He would have pulled off a legitimate upset, with his back against the wall, while making his case for beating Fury stronger than ever.
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      Losing to Usyk likely leaves Fury short of any motivation to return and fight AJ, but if he wins, how can the Gypsy King possibly ignore that?
      It is what makes the fight on Saturday so gripping and also so vital, as heavyweight boxing in Britain may depend on the result.
      Oleksander Usyk and Anthony Joshua ahead of their rematchCredit: Getty
      Oleksander Usyk and Anthony Joshua ahead face off for the final timeCredit: Reuters More

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      Fighters wanting to feast on his carcass and out of elite – world looks bleak if Joshua loses but he’s staying positive

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      ANTHONY JOSHUA has recovered from losing his undefeated record and world titles.But if he suffers a third professional defeat in a career-defining rematch with Oleksandr Usyk, then he faces dropping out of boxing’s elite — and will struggle to return.
      Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk face off in JeddahCredit: AP
      AJ is staying positiveCredit: Reuters
      AJ lit up the nation when he grabbed gold at London 2012, became world champ after just 16 fights and was a bonafide superstar with the 2017 Wembley win over Wladimir Klitschko, another Ukrainian heavyweight.
      His impact on British boxing is huge, having helped rebuild an entire industry.
      All of the recent British 2022 Commonwealth Games athletes still worship him and some of our most exciting pros are guided by his management company.
      In lockdown, he personally helped keep amateur clubs alive with kit and cash donations.
      READ MORE ON USYK VS AJ
      But in the fickle and fast-moving sport, so much of that good work would be overshadowed by a second consecutive defeat to boogeyman Usyk in Saudi Arabia.
      Tyson Fury would return from his latest dubious retirement to face Usyk for undisputed No 1 status.
      And former sparring partners and young pretenders like Joe Joyce and Daniel Dubois would fancy their chances of feasting on the carcass of 32-year-old AJ’s once-glittering career.
      Divorced from decade-long broadcast powerhouse Sky Sports after this fight — and tied to struggling streaming start-up DAZN — mainstream promotion would be drastically reduced for non- title fights against has-beens and also-rans in an attempt to rebuild his career.
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      If all of these stark possibilities are in the minds of even his most devoted fans, how is the father-of-one coping with the enormity of this physical and psychological tinderbox?
      He said: “It’s a pressure to sharpen me, definitely. It’s a motivation.
      “It’s a big fight but one I feel I’m positive I can win. My mind’s right, my heart is in the right place. I want to kind of raise my heart rate.
      “I want to do things in the ring that will make me believe in myself.“I’m sure if I do those things, I should be victorious. And that’s just where my head’s at.”
      Even at the impervious peak of AJ’s heavyweight rampage, the Watford superstar would admit to expecting a few defeats in the long, winding and bumpy road.
      The first, in 2019 against Andy Ruiz Jr, was a shock KO he avenged six months later.

      🥊AJ vs Usyk 2 confirmed fight time, TV and live stream info for Saturday’s blockbuster
      And the second was a drawn-out and punishing unanimous decision loss in September to Usyk, a southpaw genius few people believe AJ can outsmart or bully.
      The stunning trajectory of his learning curve has smashed into a brick wall.
      He said: “Muhammad Ali, considered the greatest of all time, he lost.“If you look at the past you can kind of figure out where you’re going to go.
      “I just thought I might take a loss one day. So, when it did happen, because I’d already thought about it, I knew how to deal with it.
      “It’s a fine line, winning and losing and I just understood what would happen if I did lose and that I’d just come back, rebound, and try my best again. Now I refuse to lose — that’s my mindset.
      “I refuse to be hurt, to be knocked down, to be knocked out. I just refuse any negative situation in the ring.
      “I declare victory already, that is just my mindset.”
      FOCUSED OR FIGHTING ANXIETY?
      Eleven months ago, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Joshua told brilliant anecdotes in the build-up and posed for photos with friends inside the glitzy venue on his Hollywood-style ring walk.
      Now in Saudi Arabia, where he seems to have been pushed and pulled in the direction of all the rich royals who have bankrolled his latest mega-fight, it is hard to tell if he is focused or fighting a new wave of nerves and anxiety.
      He said: “I definitely feel nerves for this one because I want to win it and I want to perform well.
      “So it’s understanding nerves and then transitioning the nerves once the ball goes into focus.
      “Nerves are good if you understand them. I like Cus D’Amato [Mike Tyson’s legendary trainer], who spoke about nerves and using them and understanding those types of things, confidence and fear.
      “Now I understand what nerves are, you can manipulate it and use it to your advantage.”
      The three-time WBA, IBF and WBO title challenger has the height, reach, age and power advantages.
      He even claimed Usyk’s irregular southpaw stance was the only thing that separated them so widely last time.
      So he accepts back-to-back defeats to a shorter, lighter and less powerful fighter will likely be the rivalry that defines his career forever.
      Up against a man three years older, AJ added: “That’s just the reality of it.
      “And you can’t hide from it but use it as motivation. Don’t shy away from it, just understand the situation.
      “Just focus on the win and then all that stuff, the legacy, the belts, the good stuff that comes with it, will come.
      “So simplify it, just get in there and do my job. That should be enough.
      “I put my own pressure on myself so I don’t want to add any more weight on my back when I’m going to the ring by thinking ‘I can become champion, if I do this or I do that’.
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      “The championship belt does not define your victory.
      “In that ring, I don’t give a s*** if you’re the champion, it’s just me versus you.”
      Usyk stands in AJ’s way of reclaiming his beltsCredit: PA More

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      Money Kicks boxing fight – Start time, live stream, TV channel as Youtuber makes pro debut on AJ undercard

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      MONEY KICKS is making his pro boxing debut on the undercard of Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk.A proposed bout with Floyd Mayweather failed to materialise last year so Dubai’s richest kid aka Rashed Belhassa will now step into the boxing pro ranks on the undercard of Usyk and AJ’s big rematch.
      Money Kicks (left) weighs in for his pro boxing debut
      Money Kicks arrived in Jeddah in style
      His bout with Traycho Georgiev (0-3) will be his first professional fight, having previously defeated Anas Elshayib and Ajmal Khan in exhibition contests.
      Belhasa is the son of a billionaire and earlier this year had a fight set up with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
      The pair met when Belhasa was young with 50-0 champ Mayweather visiting his father’s zoo – a popular destination for celebrities including Lionel Messi, Nicky Minaj, Cardi B and AJ.
      But the proposed fight was cancelled and now Belhasa will turn his attention to Georgiev, who has failed to win any of his three professional fights.
      Read more on Money Kicks
      When is Money Kicks fight?
      Money Kicks vs Traycho Georgiev takes place on the undercard of Usyk vs Joshua 2 on Saturday, August 20.
      The fight kicks off the show before the main card gets underway at 3pm BST which is 5pm in Saudi Arabia.
      Get Anthony Joshua to beat Oleksandr Usyk at HUGE 70/1 with BetVictor special offer
      How can I watch Money Kicks fight?
      Money Kicks vs Traycho Georgiev will be taking place before the event goes live on Sky Sports Box Office, which is at 6pm BST.
      However the fight is expected to be available to watch for the rest of the world on DAZN, who have the AJ vs Usyk 2 rights for 190+ territories outside the UK.

      🥊AJ vs Usyk 2 confirmed fight time, TV and live stream info for Saturday’s blockbuster
      Who is Money Kicks? 
      Money Kicks’s real name is Rashed Belhasa.
      Born January 5, 2002, in Dubai, UAE to an Islam family.
      He is known for being a YouTuber and Actor.
      He mostly shares his fashionable outfits and video clips over on his Instagram account.
      Just search this username @rsbelhasa to find him.
      He currently has over 2 Million Followers on his Instagram account and 2.6 Million Subscribers on Youtube Channel.
      He got huge recognition after making videos about his rich lifestyle, expensive shoes and different exotic vehicles like Rolls Royce and Bentley
      What is the full Usyk vs Joshua undercard?

      Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk 2 (10.54pm) – World heavyweight championship WBA ‘super’, IBF, IBO and WBO – 12 rounds
      Filip Hrgovic vs Zhilei Zhang (9.52pm) – IBF heavyweight final eliminator – 12 rounds
      Callum Smith vs Mathieu Bauderlique (8.50pm) – WBC light-heavyweight final eliminator – 12 rounds
      Badou Jack vs Richard Rivera (7.18pm) – cruiserweight – 10 rounds
      Ziyad Almaayouf vs Jose Alatorre (6.48pm) – super-lightweight – 4 rounds
      Ramla Ali vs Crystal Garcia Nova (6.10pm) – super-bantamweight – 8 rounds
      Andrew Tabiti vs James Wilson (5.24pm) – heavyweight – 8 rounds
      Ben Whittaker vs Peter Nosic (4.46pm) – light-heavyweight – 6 rounds
      Daniel Lapin vs Josef Jurko (4.03pm) – heavyweight – 8 rounds
      Bader Alsamreen vs Faud Tarverdi (3.30pm) – super lightweight – 6 rounds
      Rashed Belhassa aka Money Kicks vs Traycho Georgiev (3pm) – welterweight – 4 rounds

      Most read in Boxing More

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      ‘You s**t yourself’ – Tyson Fury calls out Derek Chisora for BARE KNUCKLE fight in another expletive-laden rant

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      TYSON FURY has offered to fight Derek Chisora for FREE – as long as it is a bare-knuckle bout.The Gypsy King, 34, has doubled down on calling out Chisora – reiterating Del Boy turned down a £2million offer to fight.
      Tyson Fury offered to fight Derek Chisora for free in a bare-knucle contestCredit: Instagram @tysonfury
      Chisora accused Fury of being confusedCredit: Reuters
      The pair had been in talks to complete a trilogy, with Fury winning their previous two fights in 2011 and 2014.
      Chisora hit back after he was labelled a “sausage” by the heavyweight world champion, accusing Fury of being confused and having bipolar while claiming the British public are “tired of his b***s***”.
      Fury responded on Instagram saying: “I see Delboy’s at it again. He’s confused because he lost that £2m I offered him because stupid 258 [MGT] said no, they wanted three.
      “Talking like absolute mugs. Never seen idiots like them in my life.
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      “He wants some smoke does he? I’ll tell you what to do then Derek, when you get back from Saudi Arabia s***ing off AJ [Anthony Joshua] get yourself down to Morecambe, I’ll have you a bare-knuckle straightener in there for f*** all.
      “I’ll show you who wants smoke you little s***house. You were offered £2m and you s*** yourself you big sausage. Carrot, You’re a carrot muncher you little p****.”
      Anthony Joshua also weighed in on the feud to back-up his long-term friend Chisora.
      He said: “All the negotiations are all being aired online.
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      “£2m is a lot of money but it is alright saying it, we need to see it.”
      It is possible Fury could showdown with Joshua providing the Watford star overcomes Usyk in his rematch with the Ukrainian.
      When asked if a fight could happen, Fury’s US promoter Bob Arum said: “Absolutely – it’s really the only fight that makes sense for Tyson Fury.
      “I’ve discussed this with my co-promoter of Fury, Frank Warren, and once this fight is over we’re going to put together a total unification match between the winner and Tyson Fury.
      “Now, if Usyk wins the fight, which I expect, that will be quite easy to do because we’re very close to the Usyk people as they’re the same people who manage Vasyl Lomachenko who fights for us.
      “If Joshua wins, Eddie Hearn is his promoter. We’ve talked many times with Hearn about various matches and I’m sure we’ll be able to come together on this one.” More

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      Tyson Fury reveals he’s learning surprising new skill after retiring from boxing

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      RETIRED boxing champ Tyson Fury is ready to take on his next challenge — playing the piano.The Gypsy King has a giant grand piano in his seaside mansion, but he can’t play it.
      Tyson Fury says he wants to find a teacher to help him play the pianoCredit: Getty
      Now he’s looking for a trainer to help him tinkle the ivories.
      Fury, who lives with wife Paris and six kids in Morecambe, Lancs, put out an SOS on social media.
      He said: “I’m looking for a piano teacher as I have a piano and I can’t play it.
      “Please hit me up if you are up for the job.”
      READ MORE TYSON FURY
      The lessons are yet another example of him taking things easy after retiring from the ring.
      Unbeaten Fury, 34, insists he won’t fight again, despite teasing a third clash with Derek Chisora, 38, or a unification bout with the winner of Anthony Joshua, 32, and Oleksandr Usyk, 35.
      Most read in The Sun More

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      Meet KO coach Angel Fernandez, guiding Joshua for Usyk rematch and has Frazer Clarke and Richard Riakporhe in his stable

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      ANGEL FERNANDEZ is the boxing coach who helped rebuild Anthony Joshua – and it all started after one shock message on Instagram. AJ recruited Fernandez as an extra set of eyes in camp following his upset loss to Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019.
      Angel Fernandez is the Spanish coach who trains Anthony JoshuaCredit: instagram
      Angel Fernandez with Anthony Joshua after his rematch with Andy Ruiz JrCredit: instagram
      Anthony Joshua hitting pads with Angel FernandezCredit: PA
      Together with head coach Rob McCracken and Joby Clayton, they helped mastermind Joshua’s revenge mission six months later.
      He recaptured the heavyweight throne but two years on and he finds himself in the same spot.
      But this time, AJ parted ways with long-time trainer McCracken and assistant Clayton, keeping only Fernandez in the camp.
      The Spanish coach is now joined by esteemed American Robert Garcia ahead of Joshua’s rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.
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      Fernandez was also in the corner last September in the loss to Usyk, but he has been more front and centre heading into the second fight.
      His story started when he began martial arts as a teenager, but boxing came to him late.
      At 22, Fernandez turned to kickboxing in Lanzarote but after sparring with Spanish boxing champ Alexis Callero, he fell in love with the sweet science.
      Fernandez then moved to the UK with his girlfriend and began boxing as an amateur, with Epsom and Crawley.
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      He won all ten of his amateur bouts, winning Sussex and Surrey titles.
      But the working life meant it was impossible for Fernandez to focus only on boxing as he later became a personal trainer.
      As a PT, the Spaniard would incorporate boxing into his sessions and began making friends in the business.
      His aspirations to start coaching full-time were then realised when he met two the modern greats, Ismael Salas and Jorge Rubio.
      Fernandez had a few boxers under his belt but got his first break training cruiserweight contender Isaac Chamberlain.
      Eventually, others would follow, including light-welterweight O’Hara Davies and amateur standout Sultan Zaurbek.
      Fernandez was having success as a coach but it was in 2019 when his life changed forever.
      Joshua was coming off a seventh-round stoppage loss to Ruiz and was looking to add to his team.
      Angel Fernandez training with Anthony Joshua in London
      Angel Fernadnez was contacted by Anthony Joshua on Instagram
      Angel Fernandez watches on as Anthony Joshua spars
      AJ then followed Fernandez on Instagram, but the cornerman was left unassuming.
      He told JOE at the time: “I remember I was scrolling Instagram and all of a sudden Anthony Joshua started following me.
      “I’m like, ‘Nah, that can’t be right.’ I got excited, [but] I was thinking, ‘This guy’s gonna unfollow me two days later.’
      “I started off saying [via DM], ‘Appreciate your follow champ, best of luck in the fight.’
      “He said, ‘Thank you so much.’ He was being very welcoming to me.”
      Joshua later asked Fernandez to come and see him in his gym, and one of his team members reached out to the coach to organise it.
      But after one of a scheduled two sessions together, AJ popped the question.
      Fernandez revealed: “I was in ongoing talks with the team and I went one Saturday to do a session with him, then I went in on Sunday and that was it.
      Richard Riakporhe, Angel Fernandez and Anthony Joshua
      Angel Fernandez and heavyweight prospect Frazer Clarke
      “He came up with the news, he said, ‘Listen, we want you part of the team.’”
      After beating Ruiz, 32, over 12 rounds in Saudi Arabia, Joshua would go on to knock out Kubrat Pulev, 41, in December 2020.
      A undisputed title decider with Tyson Fury, 34, then collapsed leaving AJ to face mandatory challenger Usyk, 35.

      🥊AJ vs Usyk 2 confirmed fight time, TV and live stream info for Saturday’s blockbuster
      Joshua adopted box-and-move tactics which failed miserably, with the Ukrainian running out the winner on points.
      AJ later packed up and left his Sheffield HQ and joined Fernandez in Loughborough, where he trains Richard Riakporhe and Frazer Clarke.
      The two then toured the States looking for another trainer, visiting Virgil Hunter, Ronnie Shields and Eddy Reynoso.
      Eventually it was Mexican-American Garcia who got the gig, but not because AJ chose him.
      Joshua, 32, told Behind The Gloves: “I said to Angel, my head coach in London, ‘Can you choose who you want to work with’.
      “Angel has to be comfortable working with Garcia and Garcia has to be comfortable working with Angel in order for them to give me the best.
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      “I just can’t think Garcia is good but Angel doesn’t like him and I’m trying to make that relationship work.
      “Those two get along well and it’s worked really well.”
      Together with ex-world champion Garcia, Fernandez leads Joshua into the fight of his life on Saturday in Jeddah.
      Anthony Joshua and Angel Fernandez during an open workout in Saudi ArabiaCredit: AP
      Anthony Joshua and his new coach Robert GarciaCredit: Getty More

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      ‘Born to fight’ – Oleksandr Usyk warns all of Anthony Joshua’s plotting has been for nothing and he’ll look for a KO

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      OLEKSANDR USYK has fighting in his DNA, so laughs off the idea that Anthony Joshua’s 11 months ­studying the sweet science will be enough to beat him.The 35-year-old Ukraine icon’s childhood dream of being a theatre star drew its fair share of wannabe bullies, meaning Usyk went into his 350-bout amateur career with guts as well as guile.
      Oleksandr Usyk says everyone was born for a reason, his is to fightCredit: AP
      Anthony Joshua’s plotting means nothing to Oleksandr Usyk, the champ claimsCredit: AP
      When the first bombs dropped on his country in the last days of February, he rushed home from London and had a machine gun over his hulking shoulder within days.
      Usyk reckons his desire to fight — while still being a devout Christian, a doting daddy and adoring husband — is  ordained by God.
       And nothing Watford’s AJ  has worked on with new trainer Robert Garcia since Usyk wrenched away his WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight crowns last September,  can conquer the Cossack warrior.
      Usyk, flanked by a stuffed Disney donkey but speaking with all the menace of a Hollywood horror villain, growled: “I was born to fight.
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      “But everybody was born for a reason. If I was born to  fight, then you guys were born to tell these sports stories and explain us fighters to the world.
      “My promoter, Alex, was born to be my promoter, to guide my career — and be my translator while I study English!
      “Everyone was born for a reason, people who do not realise that often make mistakes in their lives. Each of us was born to fight for something.”
      Joshua was definitely a streetfighter in his youth, with the scars on his callous-covered hands and a spell on remand in Reading prison to prove it.

      🥊AJ vs Usyk 2 confirmed fight time, TV and live stream info for Saturday’s blockbuster
      Most read in Boxing
      When he walked into Finchley ABC aged 18, he turned his life around and became the boxer that revolutionised the sport for Great Britain.
      Joshua ended his decade-long association with Team GB staff for this Jeddah rematch, axed his most recent cautious points-scoring tactics  and hired a  Mexican-American trainer famed for a high-pressure, dog-fight style.
      But when we relay all this to Usyk, he dismisses us with a sociology lesson.
      The champ declared: “Frankly, I don’t care much about what he does.
      “It’s up to him to decide what to learn, what to study, how to behave. I’m doing my job, I’m not even trying to think about his.
      “This is not the type of information I really require. What I do require is the data from my team, from people we are working on,  everything else is not helpful.
      “Many people absorb information that is useless, that they have no idea how to use properly in their lives. 
      Ukraine hero believes he’ll be bigger and better as he aims for a repeat win that could leave Anthony Joshua’s boxing future in doubtCredit: Getty
      “According to my experience, this is just dirt, crap that remains in our heads and doesn’t help us to develop.
      “It just stays there and keeps the space. Instagram, TikTok, all those social media, they are to make people stupid. They don’t want to read books, history or  literature. They don’t want to fill their brains with knowledge that’s going to be useful for them.”
      What was useful for the Crimea-born father-of-three, in his Dubai training camp, was training to the brink of ­collapse and sparring giants who towered over him and carried the power to ­concuss a smaller man.
      Team Usyk rotated these paid assailants one round at a time to keep them as fresh as possible as they tried to punch the former cruiserweight king into orbit.
      He joked: “It felt to me that during this preparation I made a trip to see Elon Musk maybe four or five times. Sometimes it was really difficult for me.
      “When I had a break between rounds, I was thinking, ‘What the hell am I doing? What do I need this for?’ I answered myself, ‘Because you keep working. That was your choice. So, go ahead’.”
      And what of Team Joshua’s claim that they found a whopping 13 sparring partners ideal for imitating the 6ft 3in southpaw who moves like a mercurial welterweight, hits from the obscurest of angles and plays cruel mind games better than a Love Island menace?
      It’s true I have put on weight. I am going to walk into the middle of the ring and look for the stoppage.Oleksandr Usyk
      Usyk added: “I agree with you that I might be the hardest boxer for anyone to find sparring for.
      “It might seem a bit complicated to fight a southpaw who moves a lot and who behaves the way I do.
      “If I were in his shoes I would probably be searching more among the amateurs, watching their fights, not just in heavyweights but in different divisions, just to work on special things, special tricks, to work with a southpaw.”
      And what of Usyk’s stony-faced promise that he has bulked up on his previous career-heaviest weight of 15st 11lb, to  finish the English hero well inside the distance this time round?
      Eleven months ago, AJ was almost out on his feet at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Usyk pummelled him to a points defeat.
      The Ukrainian said: “It’s true I have put on weight.
      “I am going to walk into the middle of the ring and look for the stoppage —  that’s the way it is going to be.”
      Thankfully, only AJ has to argue with him now. More

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      Anthony Joshua weighs in 4lbs HEAVIER for Oleksandr Usyk rematch as he looks to bully lighter unified champ

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      ANTHONY JOSHUA packed on 4lbs in his effort to bully and KO Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday.The 32-year-old Watford ace was 240lbs – 17st 2lbs – for his September loss to the 35-year-old Ukraine king in September.
      Anthony Joshua hits the scales in Saudi ArabiaCredit: Reuters
      Oleksander Usyk weighing in after Anthony JoshuaCredit: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
      Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua ahead of their rematchCredit: Getty
      And he stripped his top off – but left on his trousers and pants – to make 244lbs on Friday afternoon in Jeddah, before staring down his 13lbs lighter foe.
      The under-pressure challenger said: “I’ll be honest, all of this stuff doesn’t matter, it’s just about the fight. Real talk.
      “All of this stuff, weight, face-off, none of it matters to me. Just looking forward to the fight.”
      Usyk – the former 14st 4lbs undisputed cruiserweight champion of the world – stayed bang-on his 221lbs – 15st 11lbs – mark from the first unanimous points win.
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      Misleading photos of the WBA, IBF and WBO champ looking massive – and Amir Khan’s terrible maths following a visit to his Dubai gym – had some fans thinking Usyk had packed on as much as 2st.

      🥊AJ vs Usyk 2 confirmed fight time, TV and live stream info for Saturday’s blockbuster
      But he was just a quarter-of a-lb over his September weight – technically a career heaviest – and played it ice cool as always when asked if it was an intentional trick.
      “Your expectations are not met every time,” he grinned.
      Joshua added: “I’m just ready for 12 rounds, 100 per cent ready for 12 rounds and anything short of that is a bonus.”
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      Joshua was beaten over 12 rounds last year at Tottenham’s stadium, surrendering the unified belts.
      But he has now linked up with American boxing mastermind Robert Garcia, promising a seek-and-destroy approach.
      Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua face off for the final timeCredit: AP More