ANTHONY JOSHUA has been urged to “fight a southpaw” before his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.
Lethal leftie Usyk turned over Joshua in their Tottenham tussle last September to claim the unified heavyweight titles.
Oleksandr Usyk turned over Anthony Joshua in their showdown last September
Joshua struggled to deal with slick southpaw Usyk in their Tottenham tussle
And former cruiserweight king Johnny Nelson would like to see AJ face another southpaw before the rematch
Joshua struggled to get a read on Usyk, so much so ex-cruiserweight champ Johnny Nelson believes he should have more ring time with a southpaw before facing the undefeated Ukrainian again.
He told iFL TV: “I want to see him fight a southpaw.
“Someone in preparation for Uysk again, get him used to that. Get him used to that competition and that level.”
Luis Ortiz would be able to give AJ the looks needed to prepare for Uysk, but Nelson has warned him to stay away from the Cuban.
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He continued: “You’ve got the likes of Luis Ortiz [but] I’d keep away from him.
“He’s a boogeyman, he’s a man that you just don’t want.
“He’s too much of a risk. But I’d try to get in there with someone that’s elusive, somebody that will make you think.
“That will throw a shot off the back foot. Just in preparation for the Usyk fight, whenever that happens.”
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Joshua, 32, has decided against taking a warm-up fight in preparation for Usyk – who has left his war-torn homeland to prepare for his maiden title defence.
The pair are set to collide in Saudi Arabia in June – with SunSport understanding June 25 is the tentative date for the blockbuster rematch.
Joshua has demoted long-time trainer Rob McCracken in preparation for the bout, promoting Angel Fernandez to the role of head coach.
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He told Behind The Gloves: “I’m working with Angel Fernandez right now: “He’s been in my camp for the last three years anyway.”
When asked if Fernandez would be his lead trainer, AJ replied: “Yeah, man.”
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