sport news Anthony Joshua opens up on his 'nightmare' wait to avenge his loss to Oleksandr ... trends now
Anthony Joshua has been putting himself through mental torture before trying next weekend to physically brutalise the Ukrainian genius who mesmerised him into surrendering his world heavyweight titles.
It is not easy to decipher, at the beginning of a big fight week in a desert full of mirages, which of these processes is the more problematic for him.
Joshua is striving to extricate himself from the psychological maze in which he completely lost his way against the smaller but quicker and cleverer Oleksandr Usyk in Tottenham 11 self-flagellating months ago is so complex that he struggles to articulate it clearly.
Anthony Joshua has gone through mental torture before his rematch against Oleksandr Usyk
When he sat in a small huddle in London shortly before taking flight to Saudi Arabia he did his best to explain his state of mind but contradictions were still so rife that it was hard to follow his reasoning.
At times he sounded more like a philosopher than a fighter.
Does he worry about the defeats on his record? Will it be different as he treads what for him are the uncharted waters of bidding to become a three-time world champion?
Was his glad-handing, fan-greeting, broad-smiling ring-walk in September a mistake not to be repeated? How much more attention is he really paying to his new trainer than he did to the predecessor?
Will he be more Iron Mike Tyson this time rather than a pale impersonation of fancy Floyd Mayweather? Is he even confident of winning this rematch?
The 32-year-old is burdened by criticism from some quarters, mockery by a cruel minority
As a 32-year-old multi-millionaire self-made by sporting triumphs, AJ is not a man to feel sorry for. But there still can be sympathy for his inner turmoil as he pursues greatness in the prize-ring. Not least because he is burdened now by criticism from some quarters, mockery by a cruel minority.
A psychologist is a key member of Joshua's sizeable team. Wish the good doctor well as he works to unravel some of these Joshua musings.
Starting with all those barbs: 'I try not to focus on criticism. There are a lot of positive vibes out there as well. Especially inside the four walls of my home and the environment I shape around me. Should I shape that environment around having had a couple of defeats?
'Records matter now because people forget quickly these days. But I study the win-loss records of the famous endlessly - and boxers who consistently fight the best rarely go undefeated through their career. Annoying as it is, I know I have to cope with losing. I fight the best.'
Joshua says his training camps have been 'so challenging, so draining and so brain-fatiguing'
How about the widespread speculation that he would not have the desire to box on after being humiliated by Usyk in the first fight and whether he will hang up the gloves if he loses to him again.
'Right after, in the changing room, I knew I would fight again. I was telling everyone: Come on. What the f***. We are warriors. We lost a fight but not the war. This is an ongoing battle. It's not over 'til it's over. That's how I remotivated my team. Nothing should dishearten you. I have to keep that mentality. For the rest of my life. Even if I stumble privately or publicly.
'But it has been a nightmare just sitting on this loss for so many months. The time-frame does change every day. I have dedicated a lot of my life to a very tough sport. I will do this for as long as I can but I think I'm quite smart at business now. I will be 33 shortly and a lot will come down to how long my body can hang on.'
Crucially, is he fully resolved to using his advantages in height, weight and punching power in the desert heat - instead of the unbelievable autumnal folly of trying to prove himself as good a boxer as one of the master technicians in the ring today.
'It sounds crazy
