Heavyweight prospect Frazer Clarke believes Anthony Joshua is ready for Oleksandr Usyk rematch
Heavyweight prospect Frazer Clarke believes stablemate Anthony Joshua is ready to avenge his defeat to Oleksandr Usyk on August 20 in Jeddah.
Joshua and Usyk fought last September at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. The Ukrainian shocked the boxing world by dominating 'AJ' over 12 rounds to claim a unanimous points decision.
Following his loss, Anthony Joshua was heavily criticized for his tactics against Usyk. Instead of using his distinct physical advantage, the Brit tried to outbox the former Undisputed Cruiserweight Champion to no avail.
However, Clarke is confident that Anthony Joshua has the capability to win the rematch and become a three-time world champion. In an interview with iFL TV, he said:
"Yeah he's in a great place, they are doing the right things. I don't want to go into it too much but he's just preparing for this fight like a challenger like he should be. I'm excited for him. I'm excited for the team. I've seen the work they have put in and you know for thirty six minutes on that night they need to get it right...God willing he will."
Watch Clarke's full interview with iFL TV:
'AJ's' loss against Usyk was the second of his professional career after suffering a previous upset against Andy Ruiz back in 2019. There is immense pressure on the former Unified Heavyweight Champion to prove he is still one of the best heavyweights in the world.
Frazer Clarke believes Anthony Joshua will benefit from both Robert Garcia and Angel Fernandez
Clarke continued by expressing how Robert Garcia and Angel Fernandez are working cohesively and will both be an asset to Anthony Joshua on fight night. He said:
"Very good link-up, good connection. Spanish speaking both of them, fluent Spanish. I'm sitting there thinking 'what are they talking about?'. But AJ seems to be responding well to them speaking and stuff."
He added:
"I think you've got the experience in Robert [Garcia] and the youth with Angel [Fernandez]...I wouldn't say there's a head trainer role but it's just both of them working together."
Garcia is a recent addition to Joshua's team and most boxing experts predict 'AJ' to fight more aggressively in the Usyk rematch. Despite not having much experience with heavyweights, Garcia is known for training his fighters to knock their opponents out.
With less than a month to go until Usyk-Joshua 2, there is no indication as to whether Garcia or Fernandez will be the head trainer. Regardless, both are confident they can help 'AJ' become the first man to beat Usyk.