Anthony Joshua saves Oleksandr Usyk from making a mistake to win by KO

Olympic medalist and longtime training partner and friend of Anthony Joshua, Fraser Clarke, provides an inside perspective on Saturday’s rematch with Oleksandre Whiskey.

I first met Anthony Joshua in 2009 when I started boxing. I fought him through the Olympics, up until his pro debut and in most of the camps leading up to this one. When I wasn’t training, I was with him in the gym. He builds relationships through boxing, many of which are based on respect.

As for AJ, it’s not because he’s world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. I respected you from the beginning. To make the hustle of him, the fire that burns in his eyes, his hunger for the better, to change his life. It was so then, and it remains so now. He is just Josh to me.

I have practiced with Joshua hundreds of times over the years and everyone needs them. Give them a pat on the back if they’re doing well, or tell them to put their fingers up because they’re not getting what they need. It was so intense because I didn’t have to do that with Josh at this camp.

He’s just another fighter for Jim, the former world heavyweight champion who showed something he might have to show again tonight against Usyk.

Training ground

At camp, I saw AJ switch and left people with headaches the next morning. I have never seen him concentrate, but he is 100% dedicated to his work. He invested in himself and put a lot of money into camp to get the best sparring partner who could give him the best chance of winning this fight.

Joshua and I were trainers for Ángel Fernández. Angel and I have a bit of fire between us. Sometimes we go, other times he has to read the riot act.

But he has always been the boss and the person in charge and we respect him. He has always been a boxer, always trying to improve himself as a trainer and improve his boxers. It’s a great fight because he wants to be the best trainer in the world and we want to be the best fighters in the world.

what happened last year

Some say this change was necessary for AJ, who lost last September. But you have to remember that everyone has a bad game. Not that it was the worst game in the world.

People have good days and bad days. I think Joshua is in control and Joshua is fighting. He is limited in what he can tell people and what he can lead. Everything he has accomplished in the last 16 weeks will be with him when he climbs that rope on Saturday night.

Alexander Usyk is a heavyweight, not an explosive cruiserweight. And he’s an athletic heavyweight, which makes him an even bigger nightmare.

Looking back at the first match, it was a tough night. When asked if AJ could have boxed better in his first fight, the answer is “absolutely.” If I had wondered if he could have used a different tactic, absolutely. Was it just a bad day? You can also add this to the mix. The good thing about boxing is that as much as the best days are fight nights, you can have bad days in this gym.

everything must go for you. You should be in the locker room feeling happy. You have to sit there with your arms crossed to feel good. Get comfortable with your boots. Then, when you get out there and feel the crowd, you’ll know that all the work you put in at the gym paid off, and it’s time to put your plan into action.

Tyson Fury is waiting

After this fight, what’s next for AJ? If he wins, there’s only one thing left. That’s Tyson Fury. I’m sure he’s in a gym somewhere, working out after retirement, waiting for that call. I am a positive person and I don’t even think about losing him. It’s unprecedented of course, but I think AJ will do just fine.

Whether you follow your gut or your intuition, you should always be careful when making predictions. But here we see AJ winning.

I saw the work he did for twelve weeks at Loughborough before leaving for Jeddah. I don’t know where Usyk is, but from my perspective I think AJ is winning.

But this should stop. I don’t think it’s wise to try to score points. Because it’s really hard when you’re chasing this guy. I wish AJ a stop and I think that’s what she’s going to show that night.