SM
Ipswich vs. Man United: 3 hrs 45 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews
Collect News Data

I made the sacrifice - Anthony Joshua reflects on family time lost to training

:Headline: I made the sacrifice - Anthony Joshua reflects on family time lost to training:
Anthony Joshua has spent months away from his young son while preparing for his heavyweight showdown with Oleksandr Usyk.
Sports Mole

Anthony Joshua spent more than a couple of months away from his infant son to prepare for an eagerly anticipated showdown against Oleksandr Usyk and is resigned to this becoming the norm in the build-up to future fights.

Since starting his professional career, Joshua has trained under the watchful eye of Rob McCracken at GB Boxing's headquarters in Sheffield from Monday to Friday before travelling south to London to see his family at the weekend.

But there was a slight adjustment to his camp ahead of the defence of his WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles against Usyk on Saturday night, with Joshua opting against the drives up and down the M1 every week.

Anthony Joshua is set to fight in front of more than 60,000 fans this weekend (Zac Goodwin/PA)

It has meant a long spell without seeing his young son Joseph, at least in person, but Joshua believes incremental changes such as this one are necessary hardships as he looks to continually evolve in his boxing career.

"I made the sacrifice to stay in camp this time," Joshua said. "I used to go home on the weekends. But sparring partners are away from their families, so I was like, 'why shouldn't I? I'm the one fighting'.

"I'll catch up with the family again. I'll see him Sunday. I had to go home last Saturday, but before that maybe two and a bit months (when he last saw his son). That's the longest. But it's going to be like that now.

"As you move up the ladder you can tend to slip because you tick a box and you're like, 'I've achieved what my tick list was'. But for me as the years go on, I tend to become more disciplined rather than go the opposite way.

"I'm going to keep on trying to improve. That's little things like cutting out driving on the way home, so I can rest on the weekends properly. When you come home there's always stuff that you've got to do."

Anthony Joshua will defend his WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles on Saturday night (Nick Potts/PA)

As for whether Joseph will be ringside at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where more than 60,000 fans are expected to be in attendance, Joshua said: "No, he's not going to come. I don't think he's interested in boxing or sport yet."

A Saturday night in Tottenham for Joshua used to be entirely different to the one he is preparing for now. When he was in his late teens and still an unknown amateur, he and his fellow Finchley ABC boxers frequented a nightclub about a mile down the road from where he is fighting in front of a global audience this weekend.

"One of the coaches was a bouncer on the door," Joshua explained. "When you go somewhere, you need to know you're going to get in. So all the boxers, we'd train Monday, Wednesday, Friday, we'd all go out on the weekend.

"It was serious but it was not serious, it's only like amateur boxing to a degree. We would still go out, have a few drinks and that. They were fun days. It's gone quick but they were really fun days."

Now one of the most recognised sporting figures in the UK, Joshua was asked whether he pines for the days where he was able to slip under the radar and the 31-year-old admitted last year's lockdown gave him a taste of ordinary life.

"I'm still about, trust me, boxing won't change me," added Joshua, who tipped the scales at 17st 1lb at Friday's weigh-in, with Usyk, a former undisputed world cruiserweight champion, coming in at a career-high 15st 8lb.

"Through the lockdown that was the best time in my life. What happened, I was one way, living a certain life, then I found boxing and then my whole world flipped on its head.

"When I got into boxing it happened so quick I wasn't really prepared for what was around the corner. Then during Covid when the world flipped on its head, I got to poke my head back out and be back to normal again.

"It was just a blessing to have that free time, the sun was shining, in the garden. It was just nice, being normal as much as possible."

body check tags ::

amp_article__465297 : Collect and Make Data not in DataBase  : 
last updated article - 2021-09-24 21:54:28:
html db last update - 2021-09-24 21:54:28 :

ex - 7200 : read : write cache and make html

Click here for more stories about Anthony Joshua

Share this article now:
AJ
Read Next:
Anthony Joshua promises to 'deliver' in heavyweight showdown with Oleksandr Usyk
>


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!
Read more about Anthony Joshua Oleksandr Usyk Rob McCracken Boxing
Follow @SportsMole for the latest breaking news stories, and follow @sm_headlines to get every headline from Sports Mole
Recommended Next on SM
Anthony Joshua promises to 'deliver' in heavyweight showdown with Oleksandr Usyk
Ruben rejected: Man United's 'unsuccessful feeler' for Real Madrid star revealed
"He's been unfairly judged" - Have the critics been too harsh on Arsenal's Merino?

Page options

Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool119112161528
2Manchester CityMan City127232217523
3Chelsea126422314922
4Arsenal126422112922
5Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton126422116522
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs1261527131419
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest125431513219
8Aston Villa125431919019
9Newcastle UnitedNewcastle115331311218
10Fulham125341717018
11Brentford125252222017
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd114341212015
13Bournemouth124351617-115
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham113351319-612
15Everton122551017-711
16Leicester CityLeicester122461523-810
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves122372028-89
18Crystal Palace121561017-78
19Ipswich TownIpswich111551222-108
20Southampton11119721-144
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

history www

Preview: Sporting Lisbon vs. Arsenal - prediction, team news, lineups

1

PS

Sporting Lisbon vs. Arsenal: Head-to-head record and past meetings

2

SL

Preview: Sparta Prague vs. Atletico - prediction, team news, lineups

NEW

3

PS

Preview: Wycombe vs. Mansfield - prediction, team news, lineups

NEW

4

PW

Yamal update: Barcelona injury, suspension news vs. Brest

NEW

5

YU

Four changes, Partey or Merino? Predicted Arsenal XI against Sporting

6

FC

Sunday's Premier League predictions including Ipswich Town vs. Man United

7

SP

Ruben rejected: Man United's 'unsuccessful feeler' for Real Madrid star revealed

8

RR

Out of this world: Arsenal to make 'astronomical' bid for Serie A star?

9

OO

Will Doku, Dias return? Man City injury list for Feyenoord clash

10

WD


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .