Joshua: I Noticed Some Weaknesses in Fury, Usyk is the Best

Anthony Joshua spotted weaknesses in Tyson Fury's performance while observing his British rival ringside at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in April. Joshua was there solely to scout his potential opponent, with whom he was negotiating a fight later in the year. He declined Fury's invitation to step into the ring after the returning former champion was declared the winner over Arslanbek Makhmudov by unanimous decision.

Afterward, Fury, who boasts a record of 35 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw, with 24 knockouts, engaged in his typical antics. He shouted, laughed, and provoked. But that evening, there was nothing he could do to entice Joshua into the ring.

"The contracts weren't signed yet," Joshua explained to DAZN regarding his decision to stay put. "If they had been signed, I would have gotten in the ring. I was there on a scouting mission. I wanted to see how my future opponents would look… I saw a lot of things. I saw some good things, but I also noticed some weaknesses."

Joshua returns to the ring on July 25 against Christian Prenga in Saudi Arabia. The plan had always been to have a tune-up fight first, then face Fury later in the year.

"When Fury invited me into the ring, it was Tyson Fury's show. Why would I get in the ring during Tyson Fury's show? If he wants, let him get in the ring after I win on July 25. He's welcome. Let him come to my territory. I'm the host, and I'll welcome him into my home… If he wants, let him come to Jeddah. We can get in the ring and face off, because the contracts are already signed. First, I have to overcome Prenga, which I will do, and then I'll enjoy the fight with Tyson Fury."

Joshua has been through a lot of tough times recently. His pre-Christmas fight with Jake Paul, which resembled a circus act, was won by AJ in the sixth round. However, after Christmas, the horror of a tragic car accident in Nigeria followed. Joshua escaped the wreckage alive. Two of his closest friends – Sina Gami and Latif Ayodele – did not survive.

After all that, a direct fight with Fury was never an option for Joshua, who holds a record of 29 wins and 4 losses, with 26 knockouts. He admits he needs a strong performance against Prenga to boost his confidence. He wants to feel like his old self again – destructive, fearless, and ambitious. After winning Olympic gold in 2012, Joshua's rise was meteoric. Everyone who faced him was steamrolled, and quickly. The hard-hitting Englishman captured the attention of the entire world.

As his ascent continued and Joshua won the IBF, WBA, and WBO world heavyweight titles, the attention on him became even more suffocating. He sold out stadiums across the UK, and the pressure constantly mounted.

"When I was unified world champion, the noise around me was a serious challenge. It was too much," Joshua admitted. "There was immense pressure. People asked why I wore headphones – absolutely everything was questioned. How did I deal with it? I can't even answer. It was happening every minute, every hour, every day."

Joshua was subjected to immense scrutiny and criticism both inside and outside the ring. Something had to give, and eventually, it did. The shocking loss to Andy Ruiz in 2019 was avenged, but two years later came the first of his two consecutive defeats against Oleksandr Usyk. In 2024, his career reached a crisis point when he was knocked out by Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium.

"I wanted to leave the UK," Joshua said about the period after his loss to Dubois when he parted ways with trainer Ben Davison and joined Usyk's camp in Valencia. "When you're at home, the pressure is high. My phone number hasn't changed. The gym I train in hasn't changed either. For the level of concentration I need, I have to be in a true training camp environment. Usyk is the best in the world. So I decided to go and see what he does, what limits he pushes. If I can replicate that in training, I think the results will come in the ring too."

But how will Usyk's unique and years-in-the-making training methods help the now 36-year-old Joshua improve?

"One of my main problems was physical conditioning," Joshua explained. "Their conditioning is at an exceptionally high level. I'm not just talking about strength and conditioning training or circuit training in the gym for its own sake. We're talking about specific boxing endurance.

Sometimes I spend weeks there without even hitting pads. We spar, work the heavy bag, shadowbox, do rounds to improve concentration and boxing IQ. It's good, man. I still have so much room to improve. I'm regaining strength in my legs and resetting my mind for boxing again."

For the first time since his career took off, Joshua is solely focused on boxing. All his other business interests are currently on hold.

"Being away from home helps me achieve the concentration I need. I allowed myself to be distracted. Along the way, I wanted to do many things. I have great ambitions in life, but I feel I need to get back to that frequency where all my ambitions are directed towards boxing. I think getting away from home is one of the things that has worked well for me. The goal, of course, is to secure enough financial stability so you can stop boxing. But I don't want to stop."