Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk: AJ’s physique days ahead of fight has surprised fans

Anthony Joshua has left boxing fans feeling rather surprised with regards to his physique ahead of his upcoming fight with Oleksandr Usyk on September 25. The star will face fellow Olympic champion Uysk at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, giving Joshua the home advantage, and the clash will be for the Brit’s WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles.

And it seems as though AJ’s preparations are aiming to prioritise the boxer’s speed and agility over his size, as fans noted how much leaner he looked in recent pictures. This is likely due to the fact his opponent Uysk is widely recognised for his fleet-footedness and speed in the ring. The former cruiserweight champion is also undefeated heading into the fight; winning 18 fights and 13 by KO.

Joshua, on the other hand, suffered his first career loss in 2019 to Andy Ruiz Jr via TKO, setting his record to an impressive 22-1. He avenged the loss only six months later in the rematch by unanimous decision in Saudi Arabia, and has since beat Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev – meaning his confidence will be soaring going into the fight. The two photos above are what AJ posted on his socials, and you can see just a handful of the responses from fans below.

Heading into this fight with the Ukrainian, it’s possible AJ will be setting his sights beyond Uysk, as fans are desperate to see a deal agreed between himself and two-time world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. The two were already exchanging trash-talk over social media and sparking rumours of an all-British clash before Fury was forced to pull from talks in order to complete his trilogy fight with Deontay Wilder.

However, when recently talking to BT Sport, The Gypsy King detailed his plans following his upcoming fight – and it’s enough to get fans excited. When listing the fighters he wants to face over the coming year-and-a-half, he said: “I’ll fight Joshua in March time, where it’s in Saudi Arabia, let’s do it.