Heavyweight boxing

Subterms

    More stories

    • 150 Shares159 Views

      in Boxing

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

      by

      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

    • 250 Shares139 Views

      in Boxing

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

      by

      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.
      READ MORE IN BOXING
      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.
      Most read in Boxing
      FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
      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.
      Read More on The Sun
      “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

    • 275 Shares119 Views

      in Boxing

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

      by

      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.
      READ MORE IN BOXING
      FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
      “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

    • 225 Shares109 Views

      in Boxing

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

      by

      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.
      READ MORE IN BOXING
      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.”
      Most read in Boxing
      FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
      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

    • 250 Shares109 Views

      in Boxing

      Anthony Joshua to adopt ‘African and Mexican’ fighting styles against Usyk and says rival ‘needs to work harder’ to win

      by

      ANTHONY JOSHUA will adopt a hybrid of African and Mexican fighting styles for his crunch clash with Oleksandr Usyk.AJ, 32, brought in renowned world champion coach Robert Garcia to cook up an aggressive game plan for Saturday night’s Saudi showdown after a timid display last time out.
      Anthony Joshua will renew his rivalry with Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday nightCredit: GETTY
      The Brit was turned over by Usyk in their Tottenham tussle last SeptemberCredit: GETTY
      AJ plans to adopt a hybrid of “African” and “Mexican” fighting styles for the rematchCredit: Getty
      And the Brit plans to add a bit of African flavour to Garcia’s famed Mexican-esque pressure style.
      The two-time heavyweight champion told Boxing Social: “We’ll see the African style, life, that’s all that matters.
      “I’m taking African style to Mexican style…both hard-working people…I respect the Mexican culture.”
      Joshua is confident the addition of Garcia will lead to a tougher night at the office for Usyk, who turned him over in their Tottenham tussle last September.
      READ MORE IN SPORT
      The Watford warrior said: “He needs to work harder to beat me. Listen, boxing’s a dog fight at the end of the day, it’s in me.”
      “If you’re a boxer, then you have it in you. It never left anyway.”
      Joshua doesn’t plan on outpointing his way to revenge against Usyk as he did in his 2019 rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr.

      🥊AJ vs Usyk 2 confirmed fight time, TV and live stream info for Saturday’s blockbuster
      The London 2012 medallist said: “I will do my best and win by knockout.”
      SUN BINGO GET £50 BONUS & 50 FREE SPINS TODAY
      Most read in Boxing
      Mexican-American Garcia and the rest of Team Joshua will push AJ to go for the kill if he rests on his laurels.
      He told Sky Sports: “Can he win by decision? Yes. I know that he can also win by decision because if he controls the fight with his long punches, using a lot of jabs, even though we want him to back him up.
      “But if he just uses the reach and that half distance where he’s controlling the fight, he could easily win a decision too.
      “But, does he have the power, does he have the strength, has Usyk been dropped before? Yes.
      “Does he like body shots? Probably not because he’s been dropped a few times with body shots.
      Read More on The Sun
      “Can he knock him out? I think so. And that’s what we’re going for.
      “I think Anthony knows it himself, and myself and Angel Fernandez, we’re going to push him to go for the knockout.”
      FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS More

    • 225 Shares99 Views

      in Boxing

      Ukraine boxing fans to watch for FREE after amazing Usyk gesture while Joshua supporters fork out record £26.95

      by

      AN ENTIRE nation will back Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday night — but it is not just rival Anthony Joshua they have in their sights.Millions of Ukrainians will be glued to their screens thanks to the generous gesture by Usyk, who gave away the TV rights for free.
      Oleksandr Usyk will give Ukraine a massive boost if he retains his world heavyweight titles while his country battles on against RussiaCredit: Getty
      Oleksandr Usyk gave away TV rights for free, enabling millions of Ukrainians to watch him take on Anthony Joshua for freeCredit: AP
      They are hoping he delivers a devastating blow to AJ but also gives tyrant Vladimir Putin a bloody nose, too.
      The bout is expected to raise $1million to help the war effort and a Usyk victory will provide a huge boost to morale.
      Boxing fan Maksyn Drobot, 28, said: “This fight means more than boxing, it means more than sport.
      “This fight is about the future of our nation because Usyk is flying our flag.
      READ MORE IN BOXING
      FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
      “He will show Putin that we are a nation of warriors who will never be defeated.”
      The world heavyweight title rematch has gripped the war-ravaged country.
      After six months of conflict since Russia’s invasion, the people are desperate for a brief respite from the daily trauma of war.
      Sport provides that and boxing has a proud heritage in Ukraine thanks to former greats such as Vitali Klitschko, now mayor of Kyiv.

      🥊AJ vs Usyk 2 confirmed fight time, TV and live stream info for Saturday’s blockbuster
      Most read in Boxing
       Usyk, 35, could have made millions selling the TV rights to the Jeddah fight after Saudi Arabia gifted them to him.
      Instead, companies will sponsor the broadcast and donate to the cause while an app called MEGOGO will carry a QR code during the fight to allow viewers to chip in.
      Usyk said: “This is a great motivation for my people. My Ukrainian people must see this match.
      “We are currently at war. Free broadcasting is very important, the money that people could have used to buy the broadcast, they can use to help someone.”
      Maksyn, an IT worker from Lviv, said: “Giving free TV coverage  to the entire country is an incredible gesture.
      “We were united anyway but this brings us even closer together. 
      “We cannot imagine anything other than a Usyk victory.”
      In contrast to Ukrainians, those in the UK will have to fork out £26.95 to watch the bout on Sky Sports Box Office.
      If Usyk retains the WBA, IBF and WBO belts he took off of AJ in September, celebrations will be muted as a  curfew remains in force from 11.30pm to 6am.
      Those closest to Usyk  have also been rallying the nation and their man.
      Usyk’s wife, Yekaterina, said: “Russia invaded our country and took our lands. We have to fight for our territory.”
      And promoter Alex Krassyuk said: “None of us wanted war. But when thieves break into your home, you protect yourself.
      “When enemies come, our sacred duty is to protect our family, our relatives, our Motherland.
      “Usyk was no exception in this situation.”
      Even if Usyk does lose, the people’s resolve will not break. Maksyn warned: “Even if Joshua manages to land a lucky punch, Putin should know that Ukraine will never be knocked down.” More

    • 288 Shares99 Views

      in Boxing

      Not in 130 years of heavyweight fights has there been a win that could inspire a nation in Ukraine if Usyk beats Joshua

      by

      ANTHONY JOSHUA, unless Oleksandr Usyk, kicks sand in his face, will become the third British fighter to regain the world heavyweight title for a second time.He will join Lennox Lewis and Herbie Hide, who twice lost the crown yet bounced back to recapture it on two occasions.
      Anthony Joshua faces Oleksandr Usyk in their rematch in Saudi Arabia on Saturday nightCredit: Getty
      AJ is bidding to become a three-time heavyweight world championCredit: Getty
      AJ will find it extremely difficult to get his WBA, IBF and WBO belts back from the man who treated him to a 12-round masterclass of magical skills and tactical brilliance 11 months ago in London.
      But he must know it’s going to be that much harder because Usyk isn’t only a virtuoso of the noble art but he’s going to be doubly inspired by 40 million fellow Ukrainians willing him to win.
      Boxing’s most exciting, glamorous and lucrative division has been responsible for so many outstanding moments featuring giant personalities like Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson.
      But never throughout it’s rich and colourful 130-year history has there ever been a fight where the outcome is more than likely to influence the morale of an an entire nation.
      READ MORE IN BOXING
      Inevitably it’s Ukraine’s horrific and heart-breaking war with Russia, that’s the overwhelming factor that engulfs this Saudi Arabian, desert dust-up.
      Usyk when he stands in the ring listening to the Ukrainian national anthem as he waits the opening bell will have to have nerves of steel if he’s not going to be overcome with emotion.
      President Volodymyr Zelenskey, has been in touch with him throughout the build-up and there’s no doubt he would have emphasised the vital importance of Usyk returning victorious to Kyiv.
      I believe Max Schmeling is the only other fighter who can be compared to Usyk.
      Most read in boxing
      JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET A FREE £10 BONUS WITH 100s OF GAMES TO PLAY AND NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED (Ts&Cs apply)
      He was put under extreme stress by his Head of State before he challenged Joe Louis, at Yankee Stadium, New York in June, 1938 – his name was Adolf Hitler.
      Schmeling had sensationally KO’d the unbeaten Brown Bomber two years before.
      Hitler and the Nazi party immediately embraced him and because he’d flattened a black man, used him as a propaganda tool to prove to the world the superiority of the Aryan race.
      Max was often invited to the Reich Chancellory to take afternoon tea and have dinner with Hitler, Geobbels and Goring.
      It was made abundantly clear to Schmeling what was expected of him before he sailed to America for his return with Louis and how important his success was to the German people. 
      Louis brutally took just 124 seconds to destroy the myth of Aryan supremacy and poor Max ended up six weeks in hospital with two fractured vertebrae.
      When he eventually got back to Berlin, Hitler and his gang dropped him like a mouldy bratwurst.
      Not that Usyk will suffer the same fate if he should lose to Joshua – but I’m sure having beaten AJ once he’s confident of a repeat performance.

      🥊AJ vs Usyk 2 confirmed fight time, TV and live stream info for Saturday’s blockbuster
      AJ admits his strategy was completely wrong last year – trying to outbox a maestro like Usyk was the utmost folly.
      He surely now realises there’s only one way he can restore his reputation and the faith of his fans.
      He’s got to use his size, strength and power to rough up the champion and take him out of his comfort zone – exactly what he should have done the first time.
      Let’s face facts – Joshua has not been the same since he suffered that shock seventh round defeat against roly-poly Andy Ruiz after being floored four times at Madison Square Garden.
      In the return AJ easily outpointed Ruiz but was so cautious and stood so far off him you would have thought the American was suffering from Covid. 
      Though in his next fight he stopped Kubrat Pulev in nine rounds.
      Though there were definite signs he was gun shy and the evidence that he was very wary of exposing himself to danger was there for all to see when he fought Usyk.
      It will be interesting to see what changes – if any – his new trainer Robert Garcia has introduced.
      Joshua is 32 and has been a pro ten years – a bit late in the day to try to change the habits of a lifetime.  
      But I don’t believe Usyk, who has bulked up a bit despite the turmoil and trauma he’s been through since the Russians invaded his country, has lost any of his talent or technique.
      Read More on The Sun
      Usyk is on a crusade and is fighting more for the flag than himself.
      I expect once again he will prove to be too clever for AJ –  and I won’t be surprised if this time he scores a late stoppage.
      Unbeaten Ukrainian Usyk outpointed AJ at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last SeptemberCredit: Reuters
      British icon Joshua has vowed to be more aggressive in his second bout with UsykCredit: AFP More

    • 250 Shares109 Views

      in Boxing

      Inside the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium and why the 10,000 capacity venue is better for Usyk than Anthony Joshua

      by

      ANTHONY JOSHUA had 60,000 fans keeping him honourably on his feet against Oleksandr Usyk in Tottenham 11 months ago.But that safety blanket of support has been whipped from under him in exchange for Saudi cash, leaving him needing a magic carpet to get out unscathed if he finds himself drowning again in the Red Sea.
      Joshua and Usyk will take to the ring on SaturdayCredit: Supplied
      The fight will take place at the King Abdullah Sports City ArenaCredit: Supplied
      The venue is situated in Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaCredit: Facebook – King Abdullah Sports City
      The hosting 10,000-seater King Abdullah Sport City arena is little over a mile away from the Jeddah Superdome that was falsely advertised as the venue — but a far cry from the 35,000 seater spectacle.
      And despite the tight walls and steep stairs, the place will be utterly devoid of the atmosphere that has, in AJ’s most iconic nights, inspired him to victory.
      The standard tickets — available right up until the first bell from a number of outlets in the many, many super-malls — are priced around £90.
      That has alienated any of the working-class fans who might have paid much closer to £20 to watch any of the greedy football clubs who have visited to flog their brands in recent years.
      Read More on Joshua vs Usyk
      Joshua did not need the silent crowd that witnessed his 2019 cautious points win over an obese Andy Ruiz Jr in Diriyah.
      But — despite the pandemic fears and lockdowns —  he insisted on having a 1,000 strong army inside Wembley Arena when he eventually battered Kubrat Pulev in December 2020.

      Britain’s national treasure appears to need us almost as much as we love him.
      George Groves retired on his 2018 loss to Callum Smith in the same soulless site and admitted his whole experience was a drag.
      Most read in Boxing
      FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS

      🥊 Joshua vs Usyk: All the TV, stream and undercard info ahead of Saturday’s heavyweight bout
      Amir Khan’s four-round battering of Billy Dib the following year was, by his own typically honest  admission, nothing but a cash grab against an overmatched and far smaller opponent.
      Unlike AJ’s last trip to Riyadh, where hosts rushed up an outdoor arena on a Unesco site of historical importance, this venue is more like the arenas boxing’s mid-range UK shows visit in Sheffield, Nottingham and Stratford’s Copper Box.
      When AJ seriously struggled in his London 2012 Olympics opener against Cuban ace Erislandy Savon, the home crowd helped convince the judges to give him the victory that eventually set him on the way to gold-medal glory.
      In a number of professional wins he has been hurt early — by the likes Dillian Whyte, Alexander Povetkin and Wladimir Klitschko.
      But his huge heart and confidence have been boosted by a totally partisan crowd that grew from 20,000 at The O2 to 90,000 at Wembley Stadium.
      Ukrainian Usyk on the other hand — with an amateur record of 335-15 — will be perfectly versed in boxing in soulless and almost empty venues.
      He was public enemy No 1 in north London last time and still had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand.
      Everything about this venue plays into Usyk’s heavy hands. It is just another card stacked against our AJ.
      Emerging from this stark desert victorious, with his three belts regained, will truly make him the comeback king — with sadly no congregation to celebrate with.
      Usyk and Joshua came face to face for the weigh-in on FridayCredit: Getty More