ANTHONY JOSHUA’S body double had Oleksandr Usyk on the back foot when he joined the two heavyweights in Saudi Arabia ahead of their highly-anticipated rematch.
Brit Joshua met with Usyk for the first time since their September 2021 fight.
Joshua’s double approached Usyk’s team
The Ukrainian was initially suspicious
The pair then posed for a photo and went their separate ways
Usyk left the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles, outclassing Joshua in his own back yard.
The pair will meet again inside the squared circle, clashing in Saudi on August 20.
Joshua filmed some promotional shots at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, while also enlisting his body double.
The lookalike was used to save time and film the shots Joshua wasn’t needed in.
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Joshua said on Matchroom’s YouTube channel: “Have you seen the body double?
“We’ve worked with him a lot, he’s a good guy. He’s from Brummie.
“I could tell you all the things he’s been in that you wouldn’t even [realise].
“He’s been with Lynx, he’s been with Under Armour, he’s been with Lucozade, a Nigerian programme, Saudi now.
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“We use him a lot, he’s a cool guy.”
And it was at a promotional event later on in the day where Joshua’s double met with Usyk.
When approaching a suspicious-looking Usyk and his team, the double was asked if he was a boxer and seemed .
He replied: ” No, no, I’m a banker.”
Usyk then posed for a comical photo before going their separate ways.
On stepping inside the ring with Usyk again, Joshua says when he wins he will get the “credit I deserve”.
He explained in an interview with ESPN: “I feel when I go and beat Usyk, I’ll get the credit I deserve again.
“And I’ll get the admiration for being a true boxing legend.
“I fought for the heavyweight championship in my 16th fight, I felt like it’s kind of overlooked.
“This is my 12th title fight in a row – I just feel like sometimes even though we’re selling out arenas and it’s good to be popular, I don’t really care for that stuff. I’d just want the respect in the division.”
