ANTHONY JOSHUA was left gobsmacked and exhausted just 48 hours into his first training sessions with Oleksandr Usyk.
AJ has chopped and changed trainers over the years after leaving long-time mentor Rob McCracken after defeat to Usyk in 2021.
Anthony Joshua in training camp with Oleksandr Usyk Credit: Instagram
Joshua in Usyk’s Valencia training camp Credit: Instagram @iegor_golub
For the rematch, he switched to American Robert Garcia sparking an improved performance, but again ending in a loss.
Joshua has since worked with Derrick James and most recently Harlow’s Ben Davison – before they parted following defeat to Daniel Dubois in 2024.
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AJ then spent the summer of 2025 secretly training with Usyk’s camp in Valencia, where he was left speechless at the intensity of their sessions.
Barry Hearn, father to promoter Eddie, told JattvibeSport: “He’s found a new level of training.
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“Obviously he’s always had good trainers around him, he’s been very disciplined in his career and must think to himself when he went to bed at night, ‘I’ve really pushed the barriers’.
“But what he’s found out is that those barriers actually probably weren’t far enough. Now he’s picking up with Oleksandr Usyk.
“I remember he phoned me after about two days in Usyk’s camp and said ‘I can’t believe this’.
“He says: ‘I’m gobsmacked actually. I’m getting slaughtered. I didn’t realise there was this level to go to.’
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The Home of Boxing in 2026
There’s a massive year of boxing ahead!
It’s shaping up to be a blockbuster year of action inside the boxing ring.
Anthony Joshua returns to the ring in July to face Kristian Prenga ahead of a potential blockbuster bout against Tyson Fury later in the year.
The Gypsy King also features in a warm-up bout the day before AJ, as he takes on Mariusz Wach in Thailand.
And Moses Itauma returns for his toughest fight yet against Filip Hrgovic in August.
Here’s all the big fights coming up…
July
Fri 24 – Tyson Fury vs Mariusz Wach
Sat 25 – Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga – DAZN PPV
Jattvibe 26 – Errol Spence Jr vs Tim Tszyu
August
Sat 1 – Pierce O’Leary vs Mark Chamberlain – DAZN
Sat 15 – Claressa Shields vs Kaye Scott – DAZN
Sat 29 – Moses Itauma vs Filip Hrgovic – DAZN
September
Sat 12 – Conor Benn vs Ryan Garcia – DAZN
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Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga – all the info
Anthony Joshua faces Kristian Prenga in his huge comeback fight
British hero Anthony Joshua is BACK and a win could see us fianlly get the fight we have been waiting for!
AJ scraps Albanian ace Prenga in what will be his first contest since a tragic ar accident took the lives of two of his close friends.
It was an emotional rollercoaster of a month for Joshua as he knocked out Jake Paul in their huge bout just ten days before.
Joshua will want to make his late friends proud by securing victory ahead of a potential battle of Britain encounter with Tyson Fury
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“It’s been an education for him. He’s a bright young man, he assimilates knowledge.
“Part of him is saying, ‘I wish I was like this five years ago,’ but you can’t think like that, there’s no point looking back.
“He’s got to look forward and he’s up for the job.”
Joshua, 36, returns on Saturday night in Jeddah against little-known 20-1 Albanian Kristian Prenga, 35.
And it marks just his second bout under the guidance of Usyk’s camp.
The first came in December when he knocked out YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, 29, in six rounds of their farcical mismatch fight in Miami.
But just ten days later, tragedy struck when AJ was involved in a fatal car crash while holidaying with pals in Nigeria.
Joshua survived but childhood friend Latif Ayodele and recovery therapist Sina Ghami sadly lost their lives in the motorway smash.
The two-time heavyweight champion took a period out of boxing to recover from the injuries sustained in the crash and mourn the loss of his fallen friends.
But now he returns eight months later – with a Battle of Britain against Tyson Fury already signed for the end of the year.
Hearn, speaking as he announced a new partnership with Brentwood Town, added: “He’s very motivated by losing those two boys and looking after their families and things like that. He’s that type of guy.
“But suddenly he’s also talking about three more years and I’m going to do this and this and this and this, whereas I was thinking about the Tyson Fury fight being the final one.”
Hearn also revealed that while both he and Eddie want the mega-fight to take place at Wembley, it will ultimately be up to Turki Alalshikh.
