Advertisement
Boxing
Joshua reveals big Usyk training lesson ahead of Prenga comeback
Padley vs. Fiaz on DAZN subscription - Saturday
Anthony Joshua has revealed the importance of prayer is one of the biggest lessons he has learnt while training with Oleksandr Usyk.
Although Joshua does not follow a specific religion, being around the devout Christian has helped bring comfort following the car crash that claimed the lives of two close friends last December.
The fatal accident, in which he sustained moderate injuries, left fight fans wondering whether the two-time unified heavyweight champion would return to the ring.
But Joshua, 36, is now laser-focused on taking care of Kristian Prenga in his comeback on July 25 before finally locking horns with long-time rival Tyson Fury.
Speaking exclusively to DAZN News, he said: “Prayer is a big, big part of Usyk’s life.
“If you're going to go down in a plane, even if you believe or not, you're going to be like ‘God help me’. It's probably one of the first things you do.
“Everyone has a small bit of belief in them, that there is a higher power.
“And I think that, for me, when I've seen him, it’s the power of prayer. I'm not majorly religious as such but I pray at home. I think a lot.
“I only see him pray in the gym. We've gone to church together, to be fair, when we were in Ukraine.
“Prayer is definitely one thing I think I can take away from the training camp, because I can take that anywhere.
“It just grounds you a bit. My prayers are normally based around what I want, so it's just grounding that I'm on the right track.
“Because my mind, when I pray, it's not worried. I'm not concerned. I know what I want. I'm sure of myself.”
Usyk, who holds two points victories over Joshua, has tipped the Brit to become the heavyweight division’s undisputed king in 2027.
But while that may be a massive compliment from the 39-year-old Ukrainian, AJ insists his own opinion is the only one that counts.
He said: “I've got to believe it. He can say anything he wants, you know.
“It can come from Usyk, it can come from Donald Trump, it can come from your dad. But if you don't believe it, it don't mean nothing.
“And I understand it. I believe it.”
Watch Fury vs. Hall exclusively on DAZN
'The Beauty' Tommy Fury fights the 'The Beast' Eddie Hall on a great Misfits fight night on Saturday, June 13, exclusively live on DAZN. Buy as a one-off PPV or included, along with Zayas vs. Ennis (June 27), Joshua vs. Prenga (July 25) and Canelo vs. M'billi (Sept 12) PPVs, with a DAZN Ultimate Tier subscription.
