Oleksandr Usyk sarcastically offers to TRAIN rival Anthony Joshua

‘I can help him!’: Oleksandr Usyk sarcastically offers to TRAIN rival Anthony Joshua after criticising the British boxer’s regime ahead of heavyweight showdown

  • Anthony Joshua suffered a convincing defeat by Oleksandr Usyk in September
  • AJ tried to outbox the Ukrainian fighter and his game plan came under criticism
  • As a result of he loss, AJ parted ways with his long-term coach Rob McCracken
  • Usyk has mocked AJ’s training regime as he has not yet named a new coach
  • Usyk sarcastically offered to help the British boxer ‘establish a new team’ 

Oleksandr Usyk has mocked Anthony Joshua’s training regime and offered to help the British heavyweight boxer ‘establish a better team’ once he retires from the sport. 

Joshua lost his WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO titles to the Ukrainian southpaw at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in September – having been comprehensively outclassed over 12 rounds.  

Long-term coach Rob McCracken – who oversaw Joshua’s ascent to an Olympic gold medal and the world titles above – was the major casualty of AJ’s loss, given the fact the 32-year-old decided to part ways with him in October. 

Oleksandr Usyk has poked fun at Anthony Joshua ahead of their rematch in June this year

The British boxer lost his WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO titles to Usyk in September last year 

There were calls for AJ to sack McCracken in the wake of his extraordinary defeat to Andy Ruiz in 2019. Such as loss broke Joshua’s undefeated record and crowned Ruiz as the new unified heavyweight champion. 

Joshua did get revenge of Ruiz in December 2019, but his most recent loss to Usyk strummed up more criticism of McCracken. 

As a result, Joshua spent time travelling around the US, sounding out potential new trainers ahead of his rematch with the Ukrainian in June. 

Given AJ has not yet named his new trainer, Usyk sarcastically said he would help the British boxer establish a new team once he retires from the sport. 

When asked about the situation regard AJ’s training camp, Usyk told Behind the Gloves: ‘I don’t think or care about what he is doing. I don’t care if he changes his trainer or his camp.’

Joshua was emotional after the fight as he was comprehensively outclassed over 12 rounds

AJ’s long-term coach Rob McCracken (left) was criticised following the devastating loss 

He went on to add: ‘I know I have my team and trainers and I really don’t care about how he prepares.

‘In five years’ time when I have retired, if he still wants a new trainer then, I can help him establish a team.’  

However, Usyk has had issues of his own as his plans to return to his training base in Kyiv have been complicated by the invasion.   

His promoter Alex Krassyuk said he had ‘no idea’ what Usyk would do ahead of the bout, and suggested to Sportsmail that coming back to Ukraine would be ‘impossible’.   

Usyk also spoke about his relationship with Tyson Fury given the Gypsy King was recently in talks with the Ukrainian over a potential mega-fight to crown the first undisputed king of the division in over two decades. 

The pair were discussing a potential bout before it was agreed that Fury would defend his WBC heavyweight title against mandatory challenger Dillian Whyte in April instead.  

However, Fury called Usyk out at the time for ‘ducking’ the fight. However, the Ukrainian southpaw has denied such claims, stating he has ‘never ducked anybody’. 

Joshua was filmed to Mike Tyson’s former coach Ronnie Shields as he looked for a new team

Usyk was also in discussions with Tyson Fury over a fight after he beat Deontay Wilder

Speaking to Behind the Gloves, he said: ‘Fury is lying, I have never ducked anybody. In all of my career, I have never ducked anybody. 

‘I have been to Moscow to fight when national relations were very tight and I could have had big problems there. But I went to Russia, into Moscow, and I showed the people I have no fear.’ 

Speaking immediately after Fury called him out, Usyk even said he would challenge the Gypsy King to a ‘bare knuckle’ fight ‘in the street’. 

He said: ‘If he wants I can fight him right now, with bare knuckles in the street. In all of my career, I never denied to fight anybody, I never ducked anybody.

‘Even when we had to go to Moscow, to Russia [to fight Murat Gassiev], the situation between the countries was very tight.

‘I could have big problems in my country, even then I went to Russia, to Moscow.I fought and I showed everybody what I’m capable to do.’ 




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