"A happy fighter is a dangerous fighter"- Anthony Joshua boasts supreme confidence before Oleksandr Usyk rematch
The heavily anticipated rematch between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk is yet to be announced. However, the Brit looks to be in a "happy" place as he's deep into training.
Joshua suffered his second professional defeat when the two heavyweights first encountered each other in the ring. 'AJ' was comprehensively beaten by Usyk. Nonetheless, the 32-year-old Watford native claims to be in a positive mental state ahead of his rematch against the Ukrainian.
Usyk is also back in training as he prepares to make the first defense of his WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO Heavyweight Titles. He was granted permission to leave his home country of Ukraine to prepare for his rematch against Joshua.
'AJ' and his camp manager David Ghansa recently spoke to iFL TV, where the heavyweight contender said:
"The main thing is a happy fighter is a dangerous fighter. I'm in a good place. I feel good, I'm happy."
If Joshua can carry his positivity into the rematch, he may stand a much better chance of reclaiming his titles. The Brit will not want to suffer a third professional defeat as he eyes a potential domestic showdown with Tyson Fury in the future.
Watch Anthony Joshua's full interview here:
Can Anthony Joshua reclaim his belts to become a three-time world champion?
In the first bout, the Brit was convincingly beaten by Oleksandr Usyk. It was clear that he needed a change in strategy ahead of a second meeting with the Ukrainian.
'AJ' is the bigger man and holds devastating punch power that can stop anybody. In heavyweight boxing, a punch can change everything.
Dmitry Bivol proved last month that nobody is unbeatable as he shocked the world by outpointing then-pound-for-pound king Canelo Alvarez. Joshua will likewise look to upset the odds and beat the new No.1 pound-for-pound boxer.
In their first encounter, Joshua went against his own strengths and tried to outbox his opponent. This played right into Usyk's hands. The former cruiserweight is regarded as one of the most technically accomplished pugilists in the world, who proved to be too difficult for Joshua to figure out.
If the former heavyweight champion is going to reclaim his belts, he may look to revert to the heavy punching style that served him well in his early career. The Brit (24-2) still holds an impressive knockout rate of 84.62%, with 22 of his wins coming by way of knockout.