Boxing

Joshua was due to face the Bulgarian at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in June for the defence of his IBF, WBA and WBO world titles. 

However, the fight was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic and promoter Eddie Hearn suggested an all-British unification bout with Tyson Fury could take place this year if a new date was not fixed with Pulev. 

It has now been confirmed Joshua will his face mandatory challenger in his first fight in England for over two years, marking his return to the ring since defeating Andy Ruiz Jr in a rematch in Dubai last year. 

"December 12 is the date and once again the heavyweight belts go up in the air and it is my sole focus to make sure that come December 13 they are in their rightful place in the UK," said Joshua, as per Sky Sports. 

"The O2 is the original lion's den, I have a lot of history with the arena, but without the fans something huge is missing. I am really hoping that, safety permitting, we might be able to bring some boxing fans in, but we will have to see. I respect every opponent and I respect Pulev. I wish him well during his preparation." 

Pulev, 39, has lost just one of his 29 professional bouts - a knockout at the hands of Wladimir Klitschko in 2014. 

"For a small country of Bulgaria to stand up for the heavyweight titles is a great accomplishment," said Pulev. 

"This fight is for my late father and all Bulgarians around the world. I'm coming to London to seize the heavyweight championship of the world." 

Hearn sees this as the "final hurdle" for Joshua ahead of a planned double-header with Fury, set for 2021. 

"After a challenging year for everyone, to end with the unified world heavyweight championship is very special," he said. 

"Over a year after regaining his crown, Anthony Joshua takes on yet another dangerous opponent in mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev. AJ's resume is unrivalled, and this is the final hurdle until we challenge for the undisputed crown next year."

The WBO ordered Joshua to step into the fight with former undisputed cruiserweight champion Usyk as a proposed all-British heavyweight battle with Tyson Fury fell through.

IBF, WBA and WBO champion Joshua was due to take on Fury in Saudi Arabia in August before a court arbitration in the United States ruled the WBC strap-holder must face Deontay Wilder for a third time.

With Fury and Wilder III set to be staged in Las Vegas on July 24, Joshua (24-1) will come up against Ukrainian Usyk (18-0) two months later.

Joshua's promoter Hearn did not reveal a venue for the bout, but revealed during an Instagram live chat: "Working towards September 18 or September 25."

The Matchroom boss added: "Joshua-Usyk announcement? Don't want to say two weeks, 'cos you guys are bored of me saying that, but soon - September 25 is the date."

Joshua this week vowed a showdown with Fury is still on the cards.

"Unfortunately, his [Fury's] team let the whole boxing world down," Joshua told Sky Sports. "I will still be here, still ready to put on a show.

"[The Fury fight can happen at the] end of the year. Let me get past Usyk first. But with or without Usyk in my life, I will fight Fury.

"Usyk isn't the be-all and end-all. Usyk doesn't determine the Fury fight. The Fury fight has to happen. It's a big fight, bigger than boxing, bigger than the belts.

"It will happen. After the Usyk fight, after I defend my belts. The fight will be bigger, better than what it would have been."

Joshua's tactics were scrutinised after he lost his IBF, WBA and WBO belts to the undefeated Uysk, who collected a unanimous decision at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 25.

The two-time former unified world heavyweight champion must now triumph in his rematch, likely in March 2022, to reclaim his belts after the second defeat of his professional career.

Trainer Robert McCracken, who was criticised for allowing Joshua to attempt to outbox Usyk, has worked with the 2012 Olympic champion for the entirety of his professional career but the 32-year-old has been pictured working in gyms across the USA as he scouts for a potential new trainer.

Virgil Hunter, Eddy Reynoso and most recently Ronnie Shields - who worked with both Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield – have all been seen with Joshua and the latter trainer confirmed the rumours the Briton was in the market for a new appointment.

"They reached out to me and they asked if I would be interested in taking a look at AJ and that he wanted to come down to Texas and see if things would work out between him and I," Shields told ThaBoxingVoice.

"I said, 'No problem, I would love to see if we had a connection together'.

"He said, 'European boxing is different from boxing in the US'. He realised he had to come to the US to get something different.

"He told me, 'Listen, I know people don't think I'm a dog. I've got to be a dog in this next fight'.

"And that's his words. He told me, 'I just need you to show me how to be the best dog you can teach me to be.'"

American boxer Jermall Charlo trains with Shields and posted several videos on Instagram of Joshua speaking with Tyson's former coach after undertaking a light training session.

Joshua has provided no official confirmation on his coaching staff yet, with assistant trainers Angel Hernandez and Joby Clayton also part of his set-up.

After losing to Andy Ruiz Jr, Joshua added Hernandez to his team but it remains unseen as to whether he will continue with McCracken as his trainer for the Usyk rematch.

Back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk saw Joshua lose his heavyweight titles, while leaving him with three defeats from his last five bouts.

Franklin, meanwhile, was undefeated and on a meteoric trajectory with 21 victories in a row, including 14 knockouts, before his unbeaten run came to a close at the hands of Dillian Whyte in November at Wembley – his first test outside the United States.

With Joshua in need of a win to stop the rot and Franklin looking to show his worth at this level, their clash at the O2 Arena is one where defeat does not bear thinking about.

Contender or pretender?

Dominating the heavyweight scene for years, the AJ of old was completely lost in the two defeats to Usyk which, although both went the distance, were bouts where the British Olympian never truly looked capable of victory.

The 2019 defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr. was a shock, requiring Joshua to come back six months later to reclaim his belts, but the same cannot be said about Usyk, who was on top throughout almost every round across the pair's two meetings.

Now, the big question is whether the downward spiral will continue, or whether Joshua can force his way back into contention with the heavyweight elite in a period of great change, with the old guard not getting any younger and fresh blood creeping into contention.

For now, Joshua remains in the conversation. Discussions for a fiercely-anticipated all-British bout against Tyson Fury fell flat but Joshua has been touted for a meeting with Deontay Wilder later this year.

Defeat to Franklin, however, would hit hard and would see Joshua's recent record extend to four losses in six fights, not the sort of calibre required to remain at the top of the game, with some already suggesting that such a loss should result in AJ hanging up his gloves, including the man himself.

Franklin's rise

For many, facing Whyte is seen as an entry test into the heavyweight elite, with the Brit having faced the majority of the division's top fighters – including Fury, Joshua, Derek Chisora and Alexander Povetkin.

Defeat to Whyte in November was a blow for Franklin, a majority decision ending the 21-fight win streak, and he is now looking to prove his credentials outside the US by taking a significant scalp in the form of Joshua.

What Franklin lacks in experience, he certainly makes up for in confidence, declaring he will either secure a knockout win or "brutally" dominate the fight.

"If it's not a knockout then it will be a domination brutally. I'll go at him, see what he's going to do and see if I can make him make mistakes early," he said.

Coming out the blocks flying may be the best approach for Franklin, quickly putting the pressure on Joshua and silencing the home crowd, particularly with AJ unable to muster a response in similar circumstances against Usyk.

Pound for pound

Though Joshua boasts height and reach advantage over Franklin, that may not provide a significant indication on the match up given AJ had similar upper hands over Usyk, and a bout may well go the full distance.

Four of Joshua's last seven fights have gone 12 rounds, including three of the last four, and the knockout dominating AJ of old seems to have been lost in the latter years of his career.

Franklin is in a similar position, with just one knockout victory in his last six – having had 14 KO wins in his first 16 professional fights.

Prediction: Joshua wins on points

That is the opinion of veteran American heavyweight Kevin Johnson, who went the distance with reigning WBC champion Fury in a December 2012 points loss, before suffering a second-round knockout defeat to now unified IBF, WBA and WBO beltholder Joshua two-and-a-half years later.

Fury is seen by many as the man to beat in the division, still unbeaten in 31 contests and coming off the back of a career-best demolition of feared knockout artist Deontay Wilder in February.

Joshua's stock took a considerable hit when he was stunned by Andy Ruiz Jr – another former Johnson foe – last June but he responded in style by closing out an emphatic points verdict in an instant rematch.

The 2012 Olympic champion was due to face Kubrat Pulev at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this month before the coronavirus pandemic laid waste to those plans, meaning talk of a long-awaited meeting between Joshua and Fury has duly ramped up.

Back in 2010, a 20-year-old Joshua sparred a 21-year-old Fury in London. In remarks far removed from more recent smack talk, both were complimentary about the other's efforts.

Johnson is a seasoned campaigner across some of the most notable gyms in the sport and served as a sparring partner – as Joshua and Fury also did – for former unified champion Wladimir Klitschko.

Speaking to Stats Perform News, he explained those lessons learned underneath headguards from a decade ago will not have left either man.

"They've got history, they know each other," he explained, before pointing towards Joshua's rollercoaster win over a veteran Klitschko at Wembley three years ago.

"It won't go the way people think it will go. It's just like when Wladimir fought Anthony Joshua.

"They had history, we all had history because we all used to go to Austria and spar together. That was the central hub for all great fighters who wanted to get in with great fighters.

"AJ and Klitschko had history, Fury and AJ got history. If they never had history then I know who I would bet my money on, but they have history and they know what to look for, what to expect and what not to expect. The strengths, the weaknesses, the speed, the power – they know that already.

"That's the thing about us fighters. We need each other for great sparring but then we've got to mess around and fight each other. It's a gift and a curse.

"If someone knows you and you know that person it's a game of chess. I know your moves, I know how you are, how fast you move your pieces on the board, I know how distracting this could be and you know the same about me. So how can you say who's better?

"It's the type of fight, just like Klitschko and AJ at Wembley. I was there and I couldn't bet a dollar because I knew they knew each other."

Nevertheless, there seems little doubt where Johnson's loyalties would lie if the blockbuster bout comes to pass.

After facing Fury, he became well acquainted with 'The Gypsy King' and his fighting family – most notably his cousin and fellow heavyweight Hughie Fury and uncle and former trainer Peter Fury.

"The Furys are my favourite team in the whole world. Not only did they open their gym up to me, they opened their home up to me," Johnson recalled. "Those are the most humbling stories.

"When I had the fight coming up with Anthony Joshua, Peter called me and said come on over and they'd help me out.

"We were running every morning, one hour uphill on a road in Bolton. We did everything together.

"I had Tyson Fury, I had Hughie Fury. I was sparring with everyone.

"If anybody ever says anything about Furys, they've got a problem with me."

Johnson will fight fellow former world-title challenger Mariusz Wach at a behind-closed-doors event in Poland next Friday, as boxing emerges from the COVID-19 shutdown.

Joshua will put his IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO belts on the line against challenger Kubrat Pulev on June 20, while WBC champion Fury is set to meet Deontay Wilder for a third bout in July.

Promoter Hearn is pushing for an all-British clash between Joshua and Fury in December.

"The great thing is that [Fury vs Wilder 3] is in July and we box in June," Hearn told Sky Sports News. "Now our intention, and conversations are ongoing, is to finalise the Fury vs Joshua fight for December of this year.

"There's no reason not to get that contracted now, subject to both guys winning in the summer."

"We had numerous conversations with Bob Arum at Top Rank over making Joshua vs Fury," said Hearn. "But we know that once Wilder exercised that rematch clause, that fight would be made. We understand Wilder wants to win his belt back.

"The proudness and ego of Wilder meant it was very unlikely. He's not stepping aside, he wants this rematch with Fury. The undisputed fight must happen in 2020."

"Joshua and Fury are certainly going to be boxing twice [or a] trilogy," Hearn added. "That's part of the deal that we are looking to do ASAP - a two-fight agreement with Fury and Arum at the end of this year then summer 2021.

"We must try and do that fight in the UK. Ask AJ and Fury where they would like it, and they would say the UK. We know there will be huge offers from around the world. Our priority is to try and make this fight in the UK.

"There will be two of these, maybe three, so certainly summer 2021 we'll get one in the UK. I would love to make the first one in the UK because we've got two British world champions who will fight for the undisputed title - this is never going to happen again. To do it in the UK would be very special."

Joshua lost his IBF, WBA and WBO titles to Usyk on Saturday after being outclassed by the Ukrainian on home soil at a packed Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The 31-year-old had no answer to former undisputed cruiserweight champion Usyk and lost on a unanimous points decision.

It was just the second defeat of Joshua's professional career, having previously been stopped by Andy Ruiz Jr. in June 2019 before reclaiming the belts in their rematch.

The prospect of Joshua and Fury facing off now appears slim, with the latter's promoter Frank Warren casting doubt on a bout that at one point looked certain to take place this year.

A rematch with 19-0 Usyk may now be on the cards for Joshua before he can contemplate facing Fury, who has a third clash with Deontay Wilder coming up on October 9.

But Parker, who was the first man to take Joshua the distance in their 2018 unification fight in Cardiff, believes there is still hope of an all-British heavyweight clash taking place.

"I feel like the point is just the best fighting the best," Parker told Stats Perform. "Even though AJ lost that fight to Usyk, he's still considered one of the best. 

"He's going to go down in history as one of the best heavyweights. I think people want to see the best fight the best and that's a fight that can still happen. 

"People will still be very interested to see who's the best British heavyweight there is."

Speaking after his surprise defeat in London at the weekend, Joshua said he is "110 per cent" up for a rematch with Usyk to win back his belts.

Despite the manner of the defeat, Parker has backed Joshua to put up a far stronger performance if he does step back into the ring with Usyk.

"I was a little surprised by the defeat," Parker said. "I mean, a lot of other people called it a 50-50 fight, a lot of people said it was going to be a tear up for AJ to win. 

"But Usyk showed everyone watching tremendous skill and footwork and movement. You just saw him outbox and outsmart AJ for the 12 rounds.

"But [Joshua's] a smart man and he's got a smart team. He's faced a loss and adversity and he's come back with a better game plan. That's what he's going to need to do. 

"I think I saw an interview saying he's already watched the fight straight after it happened and he just needs to make those adjustments and how to counter someone like Usyk.

"Who wins the rematch depends on the training, it depends on who shows up on the day. But going into the rematch, Usyk would have big confidence. 

"It's pretty crazy how he came from the cruiserweight division, unified champion of the world and then has three fights and he's the unified champion of the world. 

"That's the goal of a lot of heavyweights, is to be champion of the world and be unified champ. It's so crazy how things happen."

Joshua followed up his victory over Parker, which saw him retain his WBA, IBF and IBO belts and win the WBO title, with a knockout triumph over Alexander Povetkin.

The Briton has lost two of his following four fights, however, giving him a record of 24-2 and leading to inevitable suggestions that his career is now declining.

But Parker said: "It's hard to say if that's the case. From when I fought him, he's had a couple of wins, a loss to Ruiz and come back and beat him again.

"He's saying that he's improving and getting better, but maybe he just was faced with a fighter who was just different, you know, in his element. 

"When you see Usyk, with the footwork and the movement - he didn't really allow AJ to land his shots and catch him. He was just in and out and just very smart."

However, the most striking memory from Anthony Joshua's bravura display against Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley three years ago is not the delirium that followed a stunning 11th-round victory.

That came in round five, when British boxing's golden boy crashed to the canvas as he appeared to be unravelling entirely under the great Klitschko's veteran fists. Heard from the media seats, the sound of 90,000 people gasping into a worried silence was unlike anything else.

As it transpired, Joshua regained his senses and harnessed a first significant brush with adversity to pummel his way to the sweetest of triumphs in a heavyweight fight for the ages.

On that night at England's national stadium, a mere 10 miles from the Finchley ABC gym where he first laced up gloves, Joshua was the man. Similarly, unbeaten knockout artist Deontay Wilder did not have a comparable victory on his record and the heavyweight division's other undefeated champion was in a period of torrid absentia.

"Tyson Fury, where you at, baby?" hollered Joshua in the ring afterwards, drunk on adrenaline and solid right hands.

"Come on - that's what they want to see. I just want to fight everyone. I'm really enjoying this right now."

FRUSTRATION AND STAGNATION

For a chunk of the intervening years, an argument can be made that Joshua was guided by the magnitude of his heroics against Klitschko, as opposed to the factors that landed him in trouble in the first place. He would suffer accordingly.

For that 19th professional bout, Joshua weighed a career heaviest 17st 12lbs. At least, that was until he put on four more pounds for his next outing against Carlos Takam, staged at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.

That laboured 10-round triumph was followed by a points win over Joseph Parker to add the WBO title to his IBF and WBA straps. Joshua going the distance for the first time in his career was the most notable aspect in an impressive, yet cagey and rather forgettable win.

Back at Wembley on a sodden September evening in 2018, the champion overcame early problems and a bloodied nose against Alexander Povetkin to almost deposit the veteran Russian through the ropes in round seven.

Once again there was vulnerability and drama from British boxing's box office star on the biggest stage. But there was a mounting problem when it came to giving the people what they wanted. Like Takam and Parker, Povetkin was a fine and worthy foe. But he wasn't Fury and Wilder.

WILDER AND FURY PLOT THEIR OWN PATH

The cynical opportunism big-time boxing does better than any other sport was emphatically on show when Wilder's December 2018 showdown with Fury was confirmed on the same day Joshua fought Povetkin. It marked a shift in the heavyweight division's centre of gravity.

However much Joshua's team had sought a Wilder bout through increasingly fractious and public negotiations, the other two members of the big three facing one another reflected badly on their man in the court of public opinion.

Wilder would also be proved guilty of a miscalculation. Now the dust has settled on two unforgettable bouts with Fury, it is easy to forget what a rank outsider the 'Gypsy King' was going into their initial meeting at Los Angeles' Staples Center.

Yes, he was the man who beat the man, having dethroned Klitschko in November 2015, but personal issues temporarily halted his career.

That Fury returned to the prize ring at all was an achievement and bouts lacking any particular merit against Sefer Seferi and Francesco Pianeta should be viewed in that context. Before taking on Wilder, Fury had not had a meaningful bout in three years.

And yet, he had the better of the majority of the fight, even after being put down in round nine. All of that was a mere warm-up for a scarcely credible 12th – Fury rising improbably and cinematically from a brutal knockdown to reach the final bell and be rightly disappointed by a split-decision draw.

Both men marked time in 2019. Wilder inflicting his stupefying power upon Dominic Breazeale and Luis Ortiz, while Fury banked a pair of high-reward/low-risk wins on American soil against Tom Schwarz and Otto Wallin.

In between those two wins, Joshua showed winning Stateside with the deck stacked in your favour offered no guarantees.

BRIT BASHING IN THE BIG APPLE

AJ was a couple of pounds lighter than when he fought Klitschko as he ponderously pawed his way through the opening two rounds against late replacement Andy Ruiz Jr at Madison Square Garden.

Still, his shuddering muscularity found a wonderful combination to deck the Mexican in the third. The juggernaut appeared to be charging on until a stunning derailment.

Just as he had done against Klitschko, Joshua surged in for the finish, only to get caught himself. Scrambled from a shot to the temple, he crumpled to the canvas. He was back there again by the end of the round.

Unlike at Wembley, the senses did not clear. The powers of recovery failed him.

Despite being inferior to Klitschko in just about every department, Ruiz did not share the Ukrainian's innate caution. His fast hands continued to fly, a befuddled Joshua went down twice more in round seven and the heavyweight division had its biggest upset since James 'Buster' Douglas beat Mike Tyson.

REDEMPTION IN RIYADH, DEMOLITION IN VEGAS

Now, of course, all four major belts are locked down in the United Kingdom.

After out-boxing Wilder first time around, Fury simply beat up his foe in February to win the WBC title – a win that, aligned with his Klitschko triumph, gives him a resume to compete with many of the most celebrated big men in history.

Joshua heeded the lessons he should have learned in the haze of his post-Wembley triumph by coming in 10 pounds lighter for the return with Ruiz, jabbing and moving with a nimble speed not seen since his early days in the professional ranks. 

You can only beat what's in front of you. And there was an awful lot of Ruiz in front of him. A title won in the gym and the ring six months earlier was partially lost by failing to count calories.

Joshua bears no responsibility for his opponent's unprofessionalism and becoming the fourth man to regain the heavyweight title in an immediate rematch after Floyd Patterson, Muhammad Ali and Lennox Lewis puts him in esteemed company.

Nevertheless, the topsy-turvy triumph over Klitschko still shines brightest on his 24-fight record. If this remains the case, it will mean Fury, or maybe even the vanquished Wilder, have ended this resurgent heavyweight era on top. Once mandatory obligations are satisfied, those are the fights Joshua needs more than ever.

Everything felt possible for Joshua after his famous Wembley night and that is still broadly true. But if he is to top that dizzying high and follow the trajectory that seemed so certain back then, there is work to be done.

Tyson Fury's stunning defeat of Deontay Wilder in February secured the WBC crown, meaning he and countryman Joshua are in possession of all four major heavyweight belts.

It marked a swift reverse of the titles residing Stateside with Wilder and Andy Ruiz Jr, following the latter's remarkable and quickly avenged upset win against Joshua in June 2019.

For the vast majority of boxing history, supremacy among the big men has been the preserve of American fighters, with well-worn jokes about the horizontal British heavyweight thrown in for good measure.

But Joshua and Fury's pre-eminence is not punctuation of US dominance. Indeed, for much of the 21st century, fighters from eastern Europe and the former Soviet Republics have held sway.

Bulgaria's Pulev will hope to derail Joshua and join their number on Saturday, placing himself among a disparate batch of fighters - some who dominated to the extent they defined a generation and others who are possibly only household names within their own households.

VITALI KLITSCHKO

The baton passed from the famed heavyweights of the 1990s to the coming generation when Lennox Lewis uncharacteristically slugged his way to victory over Vitali Klitschko in Los Angeles in June 2003. The last man standing from his era after comprehensively beating Mike Tyson, Lewis was given hell by "Dr Steelhammer" but managed to inflict enough damage for the challenger to be stopped on cuts after six gruelling rounds.

Lewis never boxed again and Klitschko never lost again, winning 13 fights in succession either side of a four-year retirement. He lifted the WBC title and settled a family grudge by stopping Corrie Sanders in April 2004. He was never without the famous green belt in the ring up until he hung up his gloves in 2012 to focus full-time on a political career than now sees Vitali serving at the Mayor of Kyiv.

WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO

The younger Klitschko was the first eastern European to lift a heavyweight title in the 21st century when he twice floored Chris Byrd on the way to a unanimous decision to win the WBO belt in October 2000. Byrd became champion in his previous fight when, way down on the cards, Vitali withdrew on his stool due to a shoulder injury. It meant Vitali was returning a favour against Sanders, who demolished Wladimir over two harrowing rounds in March 2003.

Another knockout loss followed a little over a year with the vacant WBO strap on the line against Lamon Brewster. At that stage, it was impossible to foresee the imperious dominance that would follow a second win over Byrd for the IBF and 18 successful defences. Closing out his career with losses to Fury and Joshua carried a heavy sense changing eras, as with his brother and Lewis a decade and a half earlier.

NIKOLAI VALUEV

All the men on this list could lay claim to the moniker of "Beast from the East" but none would be able to pull it off as well as the preposterously proportioned Valuev. Standing at 7ft and tipping the scales at over 300lbs, he became the tallest and heaviest heavyweight champion in history. Valuev's skills were akin to a rudimentary club fighter but he was just far too big for most opponents to handle.

Each of his two stints as WBA ruler began with prophetically forgettable points wins over John Ruiz and after a 2008 loss to a pot-shotting David Haye he walked away to a varied post-fight career. Like Klitschko he entered politics, winning election to the State Duma in Russia's 2011 parliamentary election. He also became an unlikely face of children's television in his homeland, presenting the long-running "Good Night, Little Ones!".

SIARHEI LIAKHOVICH

Liakhovich's period reign as WBO champion lasted seven months. The Belarussian won a unanimous decision win over Brewster in April 2006, despite taking a knee in the seventh. He was up on the cards when Shannon Briggs dramatically knocked him through the ropes during the closing seconds of his first defence. Briggs was the last American to get his hands on any portion of the heavyweight title before Wilder's WBC reign began in 2015. Two years earlier, the "Bronze Bomber" left Liakhovich quivering on the canvas after a terrifying first-round KO.

OLEG MASKAEV

Three months before Briggs' late show against Liakhovich, Maskaev battered one-time Lewis conqueror Hasim Rahman to defeat inside the final minute of their August 2006 rematch in Las Vegas. A product of the Soviet amateur system, Maskaev based himself in the US for the majority of his professional career. He was 37 by the time he ripped the WBC crown from Rahman and, after a successful defence against Okello Peter in Moscow, the Kazakh-born fighter was knocked out by Samuel Peter - the "Nigerian Nightmare" who was himself stopped by a returning Vitali Klitschko next time out.

RUSLAN CHAGAEV

If the WBA was a sofa, Chagaev would be the loose change they continue to find lurking between the cushions. He first won the organisation's belt with a majority decision win over Valuev in April 2007, although subsequent illness and injury led to him being declared "champion in recess". As such, the WBA belt was not on the line when his corner waved off a June 2009 shellacking at the hands of Wladimir Klitschko after nine rounds.

The organisation then elected to install Chagaev not as its champion but number one challenger and he dropped an August 2011 decision to Alexander Povetkin for the vacant belt. The story did not end there, however, as Chagaev and the unheralded Fres Oquendo were selected to box for the WBA's vacant "regular" title in July 2014. Almost two years and one competitive round later, Chagaev was knocked out by Lucas Browne, who then failed a drugs test. The Uzbek was given back his title, only to be stripped in July 2016 for failing to pay the WBA sanctioning fees for that already barely remembered Oquendo contest, seemingly ending the saga.

SULTAN IBRAGIMOV

Not one to linger like Chagaev, Russia's Sydney 2000 heavyweight silver medallist Ibragimov outpointed Briggs in his 22nd professional bout to lift the WBO belt in June 2007. Under the tutelage of Jeff Mayweather, he comfortably beat the great Evander Holyfield in his first defence. A unification showdown with Wladimir Klitschko was most notable for the Madison Square Garden crowd booing a safety-first affair. With that sole defeat, Ibragimov was gone, retiring in 2009 due to persistent injuries to his left hand.

ALEXANDER POVETKIN

Another decorated amateur, Povetkin won super-heavyweight gold at the 2004 Olympics and made four defences of the WBA title after beating Chagaev. To repeat a theme, all roads led to an uncompromising Klitschko, with Wladimir sending him to the canvas four times during a landslide Moscow triumph in October 2013. Failed drugs tests did little for Povetkin's wider reputation and put paid to a proposed meeting with Wilder.

A promising start unravelled to a seventh-round stoppage when challenging Joshua in September 2018, although Povetkin sensationally recovered from two knockdowns to ice Dillian Whyte this year and re-establish himself as a major player in boxing's glamour division at the age of 41.

It will be a year and five days since he avenged his sole career loss to Andy Ruiz Jr with a landslide point victory in Diriyah, becoming the fourth man in heavyweight history to regain his titles in an immediate rematch.

The others are Floyd Patterson, Muhammad Ali and Lennox Lewis, which handily outlines the sort of company the 31-year-old will hope to remain alongside in posterity.

How Joshua attempts to disarm and dismantle the veteran Pulev, with an undisputed showdown against Tyson Fury purportedly on the agenda for 2021, could tell us much about how he will approach this final legacy-building act of his career.

Taste for a tear up

Joshua made his swift transition from 2012 Olympic golden boy to box-office superstar thanks to his thirst for knockouts, the most valuable currency in which a heavyweight can trade.

Each of his first 20 professional wins came inside the scheduled distance, with 16 of those fights ending within three rounds.

Standout victories over Dillian Whyte and Wladimir Klitschko made good on Joshua's professed admiration for the fabled 1976 slugfest between George Foreman and Ron Lyle. In his first bout since a humiliating loss to Ali in the "Rumble in the Jungle", Foreman climbed off the canvas twice to stop Lyle after five rounds of unfathomable brutality.

"It was so violent that the first time I saw it on YouTube, it almost scared me off becoming a boxer," Joshua said in 2016, in between those meetings with Whyte and Klitschko that conformed to the template.

Hurt by Whyte and hurt badly and dropped by Klitschko, Joshua blasted his way out of trouble on both occasions to secure thrilling stoppage wins.

He sensed blood having floored Ruiz at Madison Square Garden 18 months ago. But the Mexican's deceptively fast hands clipped Joshua as he waded in to finish matters and the hulking Briton tumbled. And again. And again.

There would be no defiant rally as against Whyte and Klitschko. It was time for a rethink.

AJ 2.0

Fighting fire with fire left Joshua badly burned and those wounds needed to be soothed in quick time after a rematch clause was exercised.

Angel Fernandez and Joby Clayton were brought in to work under head trainer Rob McCracken, with an emphasis on sharper padwork and bringing their man's superior athleticism to bear against Ruiz.

The gulf between the two men in that regard expanded much as a rotund Ruiz did for the return, with Joshua boxing, moving and jabbing his way to a near shutout triumph, having weighed his lightest for more than five years.

Turning a crushing defeat on its head was an accomplishment made all the more impressive by it coming courtesy of a radical chance in style, however beneficial Ruiz's lack of discipline in the interim period might have been.

During the hellacious Klitschko classic, Joshua landed 69 of 186 power punches thrown, with 38 of 169 jabs finding a home.

In the Ruiz rematch, he also connected 107 times, but it is there the similarities end. The left lead was the solid foundation to everything Joshua accomplished amid the dunes, landing 65 of 270 thrown, averaging 23 jabs per round. His 35 thrown in the 11th were more jabs than Ruiz (23) landed during the entire contest.

The heavy artillery was deployed far more sparingly, as the IBF, WBA and WBO champion connected with 42 of 103 power punches, according to CompuBox.

Stick or twist for greatness?

Fernandez and Clayton have remained part of Joshua's setup for the Pulev fight, suggesting the tactics last time out are something the fighters wishes to keep close at hand.

"I am going to go in there and perform with no pressure and showcase the styles I have merged together, which is sticking and moving, and aggression and knockout power," he told the Daily Mail last weekend.

Were he to become more circumspect during his later years, Joshua would something in common with the two men who dominated the heavyweight division before him.

Lewis only needed recourse to the scorecards three times in 25 outings before a shock KO loss to Oliver McCall in 1994. It is hard to imagine the younger Lewis, who wrecked the dangerous Donovan 'Razor' Ruddock on the way to being crowned WBC champion picking his way through a methodical points win as he did against David Tua in 2000 - a performance that won plaudits from purists but drew boos from a bloodthirsty Las Vegas crowd.

The joy of Klitschko's gallant last hurrah against Joshua was seeing the great Ukrainian involved in the sort of gunslinging contest he had long since eschewed, the late and esteemed Emanuel Steward having masterminded a similar reboot to the one he oversaw with Lewis.

A fighter once reduced to minced meat by the likes of Corrie Sanders and Lamon Brewster embarked upon a run of 18 world title defences spanning almost a decade, Klitschko's ramrod jab and unerring straight right the cornerstones of a safety-first course.

An exception came in November 2014, when he repeatedly left-hooked a prime Pulev to the canvas to secure a fifth-round stoppage.

Herein lies the quandary for Joshua, this weekend and beyond. The pre-Ruiz version bludgeoning forward against Pulev would be very well placed to repeat Klitschko's emphatic victory - the Bulgarian has not lost since.

What impact have his Ruiz experiences, the chastening and the triumphant, had on Joshua's appetite for a tear-up? How does a seasoned fighter benefit from being aware of their vulnerabilities without being consumed them?

Pulev is not the only rival who would appear to be best tackled on the front foot. For all his amateur pedigree, it is more or less impossible to foresee Joshua jabbing his way to a win against the formidable Fury.

A year ago, Joshua went into his shell to get his career back on track. How much he emerges from it against Pulev and others will define his claims to greatness.

Usyk outclassed Joshua to claim the WBA, WBO and IBF titles at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last September, inflicting just a second professional defeat on his opponent.

Joshua activated his rematch clause, but plans for a second bout were thrown into doubt after Usyk returned to Ukraine to defend his homeland following the Russian invasion.

However, Usyk has now started preparing for the rematch, which his promoter Alexander Krassyuk recently revealed looked set to be staged in Saudi Arabia.

Speaking on Friday, though, Hearn said venues in the UK are still being considered, with an announcement due to be made later this month.

"We're in final negotiations for a couple of sites for either the end of June or early-to-mid-July," Hearn said. 

"I reckon within two weeks we'll have some news in terms of where that's going to be.

"An option is in the UK. The difference is, we don't really need negotiations with a venue in the UK, we just book it."

The reigning IBF, WBA and WBO champion looked in excellent condition as he weighed in on Friday, tipping the scales at 240 pounds – a fraction lighter than for his previous fight, against Kubrat Pulev, at the end of 2020.

Joshua was always going to have a height and weight advantage coming into an intriguing contest at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this weekend, even if Usyk did come in at a career-high 221.25 pounds.

It is just a third outing at heavyweight for the Ukrainian, who was previously the undisputed champion at cruiserweight before moving up. His boxing abilities should not be doubted, considering his achievements as an amateur as well, but after taking on Chazz Witherspoon and Dereck Chisora previously, he is about to jump back in at the deep end nearly a year on from his last bout.

The physical differences further increase the intrigue over how each man will approach the occasion, as two fighters who struck gold at the London Olympics in 2012 meet in the English capital.

"It's called a boxing match for a reason. I love the sweet science. I will display my boxing skills, but I won't make it too complicated in there," Joshua said at the final news conference.

This, of course, was not the fight the 31-year-old had expected to be next on his agenda. A deal was in place to take on Tyson Fury to reveal a new undisputed champion, but the holder of the WBC title has been ordered to take on Deontay Wilder for a third time instead.

That trilogy bout takes place on October 9 in Las Vegas, a hurdle Fury will likely have to clear if we are to see the all-British showdown that has been teased for too long, amid lengthy negotiations, social media sparring and arbitration hearings.

Before then, though, Joshua must focus on the task at hand. Usyk, the mandatory challenger for the WBO strap, is not an opponent to be taken lightly either, even if he weighed considerably less on the scales.

The result is all that matters for Joshua, who knows just what is at stake. Unlike his opponent, Usyk has little to lose – apart from that unblemished record in the pros – and everything to gain, having received the chance to spring the type of surprise that would seismically alter the heavyweight landscape.

The pair took part in a tense head-to-head showdown after weighing in, though they did share a handshake and a smile before parting ways. Respectful during the build-up, it will be down to business when they next come face to face with each other.

RECENT HISTORY

Joshua finished an otherwise quiet 2020 in style, stopping the ever-willing but overmatched Pulev inside nine rounds in his solitary outing during the year. A small number of fans were present inside Wembley Arena amid the coronavirus pandemic, but there will be far more in attendance at the impressive home of Spurs this weekend.

That Pulev bout came just over a year after Joshua's revenge mission against Andy Ruiz Jr, when he boxed intelligently to regain the titles he had lost against the same opponent midway through 2019 in a stunning upset on his American debut.

As for Usyk, he came through a gruelling physical test against Chisora, winning their October 2020 meeting by unanimous decision on the scorecards.

Chisora, who was left "gutted" by the final verdict, was asked in the aftermath if he felt his opponent had shown him enough to be able to beat one of the big names in the division, to which he replied: "No, because in the heavyweight game, you have to fight, not box."

TALE OF THE TAPE 

ANTHONY JOSHUA

Age: 31
Height: 6ft 6ins (198cm)
Weight: 240lbs
Reach: 82ins
Professional record: 24-1 (22 KOs)
Major career titles: IBF, WBA, WBO heavyweight

OLEKSANDR USYK

Age: 34
Height: 6ft 3ins (191cm) 
Weight: 221.25lbs
Reach: 78ins  
Professional record: 18-0 (13 KOs) 
Major career titles: IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO cruiserweight

Already holding the IBF, WBA and WBO titles, heavyweight Joshua appeared set for a hugely lucrative unification showdown with Tyson Fury, holder of the WBC belt, that would identify an undisputed champion in the division. 

An arbitration hearing put paid to that plan, though, as Fury was ordered to face Deontay Wilder for a third time, denying boxing fans the fight they desperately wanted to see. 

However, Usyk is an intriguing prospect for Joshua to deal with. Dominant at cruiserweight before stepping up, the 34-year-old has the potential to cause problems, considering both his boxing skills and outstanding resume. 

Britain may dominate right now, but fighters from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Republics have ruled the roost at different times, albeit with varying degrees of longevity.  

VITALI KLITSCHKO

The baton passed from the famed heavyweights of the 1990s to the coming generation when Lennox Lewis uncharacteristically slugged his way to victory over Vitali Klitschko in Los Angeles in June 2003. The last man standing from his era after comprehensively beating Mike Tyson, Lewis was given hell by "Dr Steelhammer" but managed to inflict enough damage for the challenger to be stopped on cuts after six gruelling rounds.

Lewis never boxed again and Klitschko never lost again, winning 13 fights in succession either side of a four-year retirement. He lifted the WBC title and settled a family grudge by stopping Corrie Sanders in April 2004. He was never without the famous green belt in the ring up until he hung up his gloves in 2012 to focus full-time on a political career than now sees Vitali serving at the Mayor of Kyiv.

WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO

The younger Klitschko was the first eastern European to lift a heavyweight title in the 21st century when he twice floored Chris Byrd on the way to a unanimous decision to win the WBO belt in October 2000. Byrd became champion in his previous fight when, way down on the cards, Vitali withdrew on his stool due to a shoulder injury. It meant Vitali was returning a favour against Sanders, who demolished Wladimir over two harrowing rounds in March 2003.

Another knockout loss followed a little over a year with the vacant WBO strap on the line against Lamon Brewster. At that stage, it was impossible to foresee the imperious dominance that would follow a second win over Byrd for the IBF and 18 successful defences. Closing out his career with losses to Fury and Joshua carried a heavy sense changing eras, as with his brother and Lewis a decade and a half earlier.

NIKOLAI VALUEV

All the men on this list could lay claim to the moniker of "Beast from the East" but none would be able to pull it off as well as the preposterously proportioned Valuev. Standing at 7ft and tipping the scales at over 300lbs, he became the tallest and heaviest heavyweight champion in history. Valuev's skills were akin to a rudimentary club fighter, but he was just far too big for most opponents to handle.

Each of his two stints as WBA ruler began with prophetically forgettable points wins over John Ruiz and after a 2008 loss to a pot-shotting David Haye he walked away to a varied post-fight career. Like Klitschko he entered politics, winning election to the State Duma in Russia's 2011 parliamentary election. He also became an unlikely face of children's television in his homeland, presenting the long-running "Good Night, Little Ones!".

SIARHEI LIAKHOVICH

Liakhovich's period reign as WBO champion lasted seven months. The Belarusian won a unanimous decision win over Brewster in April 2006, despite taking a knee in the seventh. He was up on the cards when Shannon Briggs dramatically knocked him through the ropes during the closing seconds of his first defence. Briggs was the last American to get his hands on any portion of the heavyweight title before Wilder's WBC reign began in 2015. Two years earlier, the "Bronze Bomber" left Liakhovich quivering on the canvas after a terrifying first-round KO.

OLEG MASKAEV

Three months before Briggs' late show against Liakhovich, Maskaev battered one-time Lewis conqueror Hasim Rahman to defeat inside the final minute of their August 2006 rematch in Las Vegas. A product of the Soviet amateur system, Maskaev based himself in the US for the majority of his professional career. He was 37 by the time he ripped the WBC crown from Rahman and, after a successful defence against Okello Peter in Moscow, the Kazakh-born fighter was knocked out by Samuel Peter - the "Nigerian Nightmare" who was himself stopped by a returning Vitali Klitschko next time out.

RUSLAN CHAGAEV

If the WBA was a sofa, Chagaev would be the loose change they continue to find lurking between the cushions. He first won the organisation's belt with a majority decision win over Valuev in April 2007, although subsequent illness and injury led to him being declared "champion in recess". As such, the WBA belt was not on the line when his corner waved off a June 2009 shellacking at the hands of Wladimir Klitschko after nine rounds.

The organisation then elected to install Chagaev not as its champion but number one challenger, and he dropped an August 2011 decision to Alexander Povetkin for the vacant belt. The story did not end there, however, as Chagaev and the unheralded Fres Oquendo were selected to box for the WBA's vacant "regular" title in July 2014. Almost two years and one competitive round later, Chagaev was knocked out by Lucas Browne, who then failed a drugs test. The Uzbek was given back his title, only to be stripped in July 2016 for failing to pay the WBA sanctioning fees for that already barely remembered Oquendo contest, seemingly ending the saga.

SULTAN IBRAGIMOV

Not one to linger like Chagaev, Russia's Sydney 2000 heavyweight silver medallist Ibragimov outpointed Briggs in his 22nd professional bout to lift the WBO belt in June 2007. Under the tutelage of Jeff Mayweather, he comfortably beat the great Evander Holyfield in his first defence. A unification showdown with Wladimir Klitschko was most notable for the Madison Square Garden crowd booing a safety-first affair. With that sole defeat, Ibragimov was gone, retiring in 2009 due to persistent injuries to his left hand.

ALEXANDER POVETKIN

Another decorated amateur, Povetkin won super-heavyweight gold at the 2004 Olympics and made four defences of the WBA title after beating Chagaev. To repeat a theme, all roads led to an uncompromising Klitschko, with Wladimir sending him to the canvas four times during a landslide Moscow triumph in October 2013. Failed drugs tests did little for Povetkin's wider reputation and put paid to a proposed meeting with Wilder.

A promising start unravelled to a seventh-round stoppage when challenging Joshua in September 2018, although Povetkin sensationally recovered from two knockdowns to ice Dillian Whyte this year. After losing the rematch, the Russian announced his retirement at the age of 41.

The Briton will face the American at The O2 in London on April 1 in his first fight since falling to a second consecutive defeat against Oleksandr Usyk.

The two-time world champion is looking to build his form back up after his pair of stinging losses against the Ukrainian, with the 29-year-old Franklin his first test.

In part, the latter has been chosen to offer a taste of orthodox fights for Joshua, with Hearn hoping for future bouts against Deontay Wilder, Dillian Whyte and Tyson Fury to follow.

"Really, it came down to the style," Hearn told Matchroom.

"I think AJ's coming off the back of two fights against a southpaw, the best southpaw in boxing, in Oleksandr Usyk, and wanted an orthodox fighter.

"The training team really sort of looked at it and said [that] if we're gonna go and fight [Deontay] Wilder, Dillian Whyte, Tyson Fury, there's no point in us going back and fighting a southpaw."

Franklin has 21 wins from 22 professional fights, with his only loss coming against Whyte in November last year.

Joshua had just one career loss before he faced off with Usyk originally in September 2021, losing his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO titles in the process.

He then failed to claim revenge in the rematch in August in Jeddah, dropping him to a 24-3 professional record.

A deal for two 2021 fights between Fury (30-0-1) and WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO holder Joshua (23-1) was agreed in principle in June.

Joshua, who reclaimed his belts by beating Andy Ruiz in a rematch last December, will defend his titles against Kubrat Pulev next month.

But Joshua is eyeing Fury and the full collection of heavyweight championships, telling Sky Sports: "It's always been my wish. Not just the WBC but competing with the toughest challenges that the heavyweight division has to offer.

"That's the only way to get better, right? You have a tough night, you go back again, you improve whether you win or lose.

"Fighting for the WBC would be an honour. It's a prestigious belt, it's one that I'm keen on getting my hands on.

"When the time is right, the opportunity will present itself."

Meanwhile, Tyson Fury's brother Tommy also discussed the upcoming heavyweight blockbuster.

"I'm not being biased but the Joshua fight will be the easiest fight of Tyson's career," Tommy Fury told Press Box HR. "Tyson's an all-around better fighter than Joshua. Joshua's a great champion and achieved a lot in his career but Tyson's just on that next level.

"There's not anything that Joshua does that poses a threat. He comes forward and he throws a one-two, a hook and the occasional uppercut - that's it.

"For my money, Wilder would have had his way with Joshua. Wilder's a lot more explosive and a harder hitter, so if Tyson has done that to Wilder, what is he gonna do to Joshua? The Joshua fight would be a foregone conclusion.

"If Tyson chose to box, Joshua wouldn't get near him. If Tyson wants to fight AJ like he did Wilder then he ain't going to win that battle because Tyson is six-feet-nine inches, nearly 20 stone and has got big, big firepower now. If a massive puncher like Wilder couldn't do anything with that, what's Joshua going to do?

"Joshua is a big man but he's musclebound and in the late rounds that will have an effect. As we've seen in a lot of Joshua's fights, when he's been in a proper fight, he has gassed out. Round six, seven and eight he has become sloppy and that's when I think Tyson will get him out of there."

Joshua was stripped of his IBF, WBA and WBO titles by Usyk, who scored a unanimous points decision in just his third fight since stepping up to heavyweight in London on Saturday.

Usyk – a former undisputed cruiserweight champion – handed Joshua his second career loss, having previously been stopped by Andy Ruiz Jr. in June 2019 before reclaiming the belts in their rematch.

Joshua is hoping to do so again with Usyk after falling to 24-2 in front of more than 66,000 fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

"A 100 per cent, a 110 per cent," Joshua said during his post-fight news conference.

"I'm ready to get back to training. Because I did 12 rounds, my lungs, and everything... I'll be in a good place even I get back to training and pick up where we left off."

Joshua had hoped to be taking on WBC holder Tyson Fury in a lucrative showdown to decide an undisputed champion in the heavyweight division, but that plan was scuppered when his rival was ordered to face Deontay Wilder for a third time instead. 

Usyk was the back-up option picked to bridge the gap, the mandatory challenger coming with a superb pedigree but limited experience at heavyweight. 

Unbeaten as he improved to 19-0, Usyk's southpaw stance and smooth footwork troubled Joshua from the outset and a flurry of punches left his star opponent on the ropes and desperate for the bell in the final round.

"It's a great lesson today. It was a great lesson," Joshua told reporters.

"I know, we can look at it from a negative point of view, but for me, I gotta take it as a great lesson and build on that situation... I'm not a weak person. I don't want to be in my bedroom sulking about the situation.

"I'm looking at it like a great lesson, go back, study and rejuvenate myself because nobody's gonna do it for me."

Joshua is preparing to defend his IBF, WBA and WBO belts against Kubrat Pulev on December 12, his first fight of a year that has seen the boxing schedule hampered by the coronavirus pandemic.

Bulgarian Pulev – who is the IBF's mandatory challenger – is a hurdle the champion needs to clear ahead of a potential unification showdown against WBC holder Fury, the British rivals having agreed a two-fight deal for 2021.

However, with Fury involved in a mediation process with former opponent Deontay Wilder over a potential trilogy fight, Oleksandr Usyk could offer an alternative option.

Promoter Hearn has made clear that Joshua is ready for any challenger in the ring, though the lucrative showdown with Fury remains his top priority.

"AJ has consistently proved that he will fight all-comers – mandatory challengers, unified champions, future hall-of-famers," Hearn told Sky Sports.

"Now he's doing it again [with Pulev], and that's why when you talk about Usyk, he will fight Usyk no problems at all, but he wants to fight Tyson Fury.

"He wants to prove he's the best heavyweight in the world and undisputed or not, we will do everything we can to make sure it is. Not one person can have any doubt after that fight, who the baddest man on the planet is."

Fury had planned to make a title defence before the end of 2020 – Agit Kabayel was lined up as an opponent for December – but announced on Twitter on Sunday that he will not now be back in the ring until next year.

'The Gypsy King' secured the belt by sensationally stopping Deontay Wilder in February, while also holds a point win over Wladimir Klitschko on his record.

Hearn, though, insists Fury's CV does not come close to stacking up when compared to who Joshua has faced – and beaten – since turning pro.

"It makes me laugh when people look at AJ's resume," Hearn said. "Maybe I'm seeing something other people don't?

"I mean Dillian Whyte, Dominic Breazeale, Wladimir Klitschko, Joseph Parker, Alexander Povetkin, Carlos Takam, Andy Ruiz, Kubrat Pulev.

"These are consecutive fights. You don't see Tom Schwarz, Otto Wallin, Sefer Serferi. Who is the other geezer? I can't even remember his name, the Italian bloke? And then Agit Kabayel.

"I mean it's laughable when you compare the two resumes, but it's in black and white for everyone to see."

Joshua came in at 17 stone and two pounds ahead of the defence of his IBF, WBA and WBO titles at Wembley Arena – slightly heavier than when he regained those belts by beating Andy Ruiz Jr in their rematch last December. 

Challenger Pulev was two pounds lighter on the scales, though the weights were not the real story as the pair verbally sparred with each other. 

The lengthy conversation went on for several minutes on the stage and continued as Joshua stepped away to conduct media duties.

"He spoke a lot of rubbish. That's all it is," the unified champion told Sky Sports, opting not to reveal exactly what was said to spark the situation. 

"Many years I've been watching boxing and have seen fighters talk a load of rubbish, then they get smacked up. That's just him doing what fighters do."

He continued: "That doesn't really intimidate me. I would have just cracked him in his jaw there and then, but I've got to do that tomorrow."

Joshua is fighting for the first time on home soil in more than two years. A total of 1,000 fans will be present at the venue, following an easing of restrictions amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

He stopped Alexander Povetkin in the seventh round back in September 2018 at Wembley Stadium and, following the terse back-and-forth discussion with Pulev that kept security busy, made clear he does not expect this bout to go the distance either. 

"I know what's he like. He thinks he's a warrior," Joshua said. "I said, 'Don't let the guys you've fought 'gas' you up - you're in against a real one now'.

"We're big boys, we punch heavy. The first man to land, that will be the last man standing."

Usyk's camp confirmed on Wednesday that talks with Fury over a heavyweight unification bout at Wembley on April 29 had collapsed.

Fury's promoter Eddie Hearn later revealed he is hoping to revive negotiations with Joshua over an all-British showdown later this year.

But having failed to agree terms on a fight twice before, most recently at the end of last year, Joshua is not interested in more drawn-out discussions.

"I was supposed to fight him before I fought Usyk, the first time, and he pulled out due to his legal case, the arbitration, with [Deontay] Wilder," Joshua said. 

"Then we had the one for this December [when talks also broke down]. Will the fight with me and him get made? I don't know. 

"Look at all the s*** they are going through now with this Usyk stuff. It's just crazy. I don't publicise things, so it's actually good that people are starting to see what goes on.

"It's good that people can actually see the s*** that people have got to put up with to make a fight. But Me and Usyk got two successful fights done."

Joshua added: "I cannot say I am just going to sit around and wait for this geezer [Fury]. There are other great fights out there I can have. 

"Without Fury on my record I will not wake up tomorrow and regret my whole boxing career. If he is on it, I am on it, if he is not, he is not. Whatever."

Joshua is scheduled to meet Jermaine Franklin in London on April 1 as he looks to respond to back-to-back losses to Usyk.

In just his third fight since stepping up to heavyweight, the unbeaten Usyk produced a clinical performance to beat home favourite Joshua in London and claim the IBF, WBA and WBO titles.

The Ukrainian's crisp punching and classy footwork saw him deservedly get the nod from all three judges at ringside, improving his record to 19-0 as a professional, having already been the undisputed champion in the cruiserweight division, too.

Joshua did not immediately give an in-ring interview in the aftermath of just a second career defeat, having previously been stopped by Andy Ruiz Jr. in New York in June 2019.

The Briton bounced back to reclaim his belts from the same opponent and could opt to try to do the same again with Usyk, though Hearn feels the tactics will need to be different if the outcome is to change second time around.

"Congratulations to Oleksandr Usyk, what a fighter. He put in a great performance tonight and the better man won," the promoter told Sky Sports.

"It was really the danger of the fight, you overthink it and try to be too technical and don't make your mark early enough in the fight. Usyk is very fit, has great feet and threw a lot of punches in there.  

"It was all the things you worry about against a fighter like Usyk. He exercised his style very, very well, was probably a bit more aggressive than anticipated. He was really good tonight and goes down in history. 

"No complaints from AJ, he will get up and go again. He is already talking about training again on Monday, but this is a tough defeat.

"This was getting beat by a pound-for-pound fighter. We've been here before in Madison Square Garden, but that was different. This is just being beaten by a better man on the night. 

"You have to make some big changes in the rematch to avenge that defeat."

Hearn added: "Usyk was the deserved winner and if that happens again, he [Joshua] gets beaten. He's got to impose himself early, though it's going to be difficult because Usyk's confidence is going to be sky high.  

"When you get to the level that Joshua has, as we saw after the Ruiz defeat, there is no 10-round comeback fights, no warm-ups. You go straight back in. 

"He will want to go straight into that rematch. He will be an underdog after tonight, but this is what he does. He chose to take on a pound-for-pound great and deserves credit for that."

Joshua had seemingly been set to face Tyson Fury, only for that unification showdown to be scuppered by an arbitration ruling.

WBC champion Fury was ordered to take on Deontay Wilder for a third time instead, with that trilogy bout booked for October 9 in Las Vegas. 

While a future showdown with Fury may be off the table for now, Hearn made clear that Joshua has lost none of his desire, despite what he described as an "average" display against Usyk.

"He lives and breathes boxing. Boxing saved him, boxing made him - he won't fall out of love with the game," Hearn stated.

"When you do, it's time to walk away from the sport. The desire is still there, it will be there, but you can have that, you've got to be good enough. 

"He will know when he watches that back. That, for me, was an average performance from Joshua. He can do so much better in that fight, but this is what happens in this sport. You can criticise him but he's facing the best consistently."