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Heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua called retirement speculation “nonsense” after suggestions he could hang up his gloves if he loses to Oleksandr Usyk again in Sunday’s bout.
Joshua, 32, is bidding to reclaim the world titles he lost to Ukraine’s Usyk, who beat the Briton by unanimous decision in London last September.
Two-time heavyweight champion Joshua tipped the scales at 110.9 kilos (244.5 pounds) while Ukraine’s Usyk weighed 100.5 kilos (221.6 pounds), both similar to last year’s fight in London.
Some experts have said a third professional defeat could end the career of the former Olympic heavyweight gold medallist — a claim dismissed by Joshua.
Watch PPV: Usyk v Joshua 2 LIVE on Main Event available on Kayo & Foxtel, Sunday 21 August from 3am AEST. ORDER NOW >
“I’m competing with a pound-for-pound (one of the most skilled across all weight classes) fighter,” he told AFP ahead of the fight in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
“I’m not losing against some has-been. It’s crazy to suggest I should retire. “If I would lose to one of the top fighters of the world today (people would say) ‘Oh he should retire, he lost to one of the best’. What type of nonsense is that?”
Joshua remains one of the sport’s biggest draws but his lustre faded with his surprise defeat by Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019, and dimmed further when he lost to Usyk last year.
However, he avenged the Ruiz loss in Saudi Arabia, and he is hoping for the same result again in Saturday’s “Rage on the Red Sea” in the coastal city of Jeddah.
“If people really want me to walk away, then cool. I ain’t begging no one,” Joshua said. “People always ask questions and they’re entitled to their questions.
“For me personally, I still want to compete. I love it. It’s challenging, but I love the challenge. Sometimes I question whether I want to do it, it’s that hard.
“It’s not an easy job but I’ve got the will, I’ve got the strength to keep on pushing.”
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Usyk, meanwhile, has drawn on his Cossack heritage as he prepares for his world title clash with Joshua.
Usyk, roared on by millions of war-wracked Ukrainians, is the bookies’ favourite after he dismantled Joshua to snatch his belts in London last year.
“We learned from each other in the first fight, but this is a continuation and the first round on Saturday will be round 13,” the 35-year-old said.
“We had enough time to study each other. We were born to compete for life, for belts, for everything. The one who does not compete, does not win.”
Usyk’s Cossack routine is not the only unconventional part of his build-up, in which he showed off his reflexes by balancing four coins on the back of his hand, throwing them in the air and catching them separately as they dropped.
The gap-toothed southpaw went on 100-kilometre (60 miles) bike rides in 45 Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) heat, swam for up to five hours and was able to hold his breath underwater for four minutes and 45 seconds, until he almost passed out, his manager Egis Klimas said.
“He looks like a cyborg. He went through hell in the training camp in the last three months,” promoter Alexander Krassyuk said of Usyk, who enjoyed a stellar amateur career and is unbeaten in 19 professional fights.
Watch PPV: Usyk v Joshua 2 LIVE on Main Event available on Kayo & Foxtel, Sunday 21 August from 3am AEST. ORDER NOW >
One wildcard is Usyk’s added bulk, after the former world cruiserweight champion gained a reported 15 kilos (33 pounds) in muscle, giving him greater strength and durability but potentially affecting his speed.
“That’s the only thing that I’d be concerned about. I keep in mind that he’s a lot bigger,” Evander Holyfield, a former cruiserweight and heavyweight world champion, told AFP.
“But that’s a decision that he chose to make. Does it help you or not? We’ll see.
“The art of the game is the fastest man and the most skilful boxer is usually the one that wins,” added Holyfield.
START TIME
The main card kicks off at around 2am AEST with the main event likely to begin around 7:15am AEST.
HOW TO WATCH
You can watch Usyk v Joshua 2 LIVE on Main Event available on Kayo & Foxtel, Sunday 21 August from 3am AEST.ORDER NOW
FULL CARD
Oleksandr Usyk (c) vs. Anthony Joshua, WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles
Filip Hrgovic vs. Zhilei Zhang, heavyweights
Callum Smith vs. Mathieu Bauderlique, light heavyweights
Badou Jack vs. Richard Rivera, cruiserweights
Ziyad Almaayouf vs. Jose Alatorre, super lightweights
Ramla Ali vs. Crystal Garcia Nova, women’s super bantamweights
Andrew Tabiti vs. James Wilson, heavyweights
Ben Whittaker vs. Petar Nosic, light heavyweights
Daniel Lapin vs. Jozef Jurko, light heavyweights
Bader Al Samreen vs. Faud Taverdi, super lightweights
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