"Joshua is always this moving target" - Andre Ward expresses his honest opinion on Anthony Joshua ahead of Oleksandr Usyk rematch
As Anthony Joshua prepares for his rematch against Oleksandr Usyk, former world champion Andre Ward has voiced his honest thoughts on Joshua's strategy.
In the first clash, the Brit was dominated and outskilled by his southpaw opponent. However, he has now shared the ring with him for long enough to devise a new plan.
With Usyk being a natural cruiserweight, he has the ability to move a lot quicker with a lot more agility.
'AJ', on the other hand, is a huge heavyweight with a lot of muscle mass. Andre Ward has suggested that the former champion should cut down on the big physique if he wants to secure victory in the rematch.
While doing an interview with Max on Boxing, as quoted by BoxingScene.com, Ward said:
“Man I’ve been trying to tell Anthony Joshua for the past six or seven years – get the mass off. Then you’ll feel faster, you’ll want to throw more punches and you won’t hit that wall midway in the fight where that blood fills up in your muscles and you can’t get the shots off."
Ward added:
“This is tough, I feel like Anthony Joshua is always this moving target, you know psychologically where is he at? Stylistically, where is he at? Is he putting on more muscle mass, taking muscle off... All these variables sort of answer that question, and we don’t have that answer.”
Is Anthony Joshua gaining weight for the Oleksandr Usyk rematch?
From Joshua's recent posts on social media, it's clear to see that the former two-time heavyweight world champion is looking to bulk up for his rematch.
In the first encounter with Usyk, 'AJ' looked to try and outbox his opponent, but the skill of the Ukrainian proved to be too much. However, with the introduction of Robert Garcia to the Brit's training team, there looks to be a new strategy.
The plan looks evident that Joshua will aim for a knockout in this matchup, which is why he's looking to add some extra mass to his physique. This will be a challenge for 'AJ' due to the swift movement of the southpaw, but Joshua has displayed devastating knockout power throughout his career.
Watch Anthony Joshua train for Oleksandr Usyk here: