Anthony Joshua disclosed that the camp surrounding Oleksandr Usyk encouraged him to "show greatness" while the two heavyweight titans shared a training session ahead of Joshua's comeback bout. The British champion, who is gearing up for a fight against Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia this Saturday, spent time sparring and working out alongside his former rival, gaining insight into the preparation methods of the Ukrainian champion. During an interview with Sky Sports, the 36‑year‑old two‑time world heavyweight champion explained how Usyk's entourage challenged him to raise his own standards even higher, especially with an anticipated showdown against fellow Briton Tyson Fury later in the year. "It's an elite team.
I got to see how he prepared for Rico Verhoeven," Joshua said, referencing Usyk's May victory over the Dutch kick‑boxing star. "But ultimately, it's all down to Usyk, and it's all down to me to do the work.
The team has given us everything we need; now it's just down to us to do the work." Joshua emphasized his confidence in his own abilities, noting that he is naturally strong and capable of both delivering and absorbing punishment. "I'm quite good at what I do anyway. I'm quite strong.
I can take, I can give, so sometimes I can just get away with doing enough but still be good enough," he admitted. However, he added that Usyk's camp was not satisfied with a minimal effort. "These guys are like, 'nah'.
They want to see more. They want to see more, like bring it out." The motivational message from Usyk's team centered on consistency and daily excellence.
Joshua explained that the idea was not to save a spectacular performance for fight night but to make greatness a routine in the gym. "Your greatness should just be something that you do every day in the gym. So doing it on fight night shouldn't make no difference. You shouldn't have to take yourself to that level where you're under so much pressure.
It's a do‑or‑die moment where you show greatness. You should be able to do it from round one," he said. He also acknowledged the stark difference between training and actual competition.
In the gym, an athlete can make incremental adjustments, but once the bell rings, there is no luxury for refinement. "Sometimes in a fight, you don't have that luxury to make improvements," Joshua explained. "You're fighting because you're in such a moment that puts so much pressure on your shoulders.
So you're performing at your best, but it should be normal to perform at this level. That's what Usyk's team were saying." Joshua's career statistics underline his reputation as a powerful finisher: 29 wins out of 33 professional fights, with 26 victories coming by knockout. He reiterated that his aggressive style remains intact and that he intends to unleash it against Prenga if the situation calls for it.
"That's the name of the game. There's no overtime," he asserted. "If I can end it, trust me, I will. But I know what my mind is telling me.
I know what I have to do. And however long it takes me, I'll be content with it. I just have to make sure I'm victorious." The collaboration between Joshua and Usyk's camps is unusual in modern heavyweight boxing, where rivalries often keep camps isolated.
By training together, both fighters gained a rare glimpse into each other's preparation philosophies. Joshua noted that observing Usyk's regimen, especially the way the Ukrainian handled his preparation for the Verhoeven fight, provided valuable lessons about discipline, recovery, and mental focus. "I saw the level of detail they put into nutrition, sleep, and movement work. It made me think about how I can tighten my own routine," he said.
Beyond the immediate tactical insights, the shared sessions fostered mutual respect. Joshua praised Usyk's professionalism and the supportive atmosphere created by his team. "They didn't treat me like an opponent; they treated me like a partner in the pursuit of excellence," he remarked. This camaraderie, he believes, will elevate the quality of his own performance when he steps into the ring against Prenga.
Looking ahead, Joshua remains focused on the upcoming fight but also keeps an eye on the potential clash with Tyson Fury later in the year. He views the Prenga bout as a stepping stone, a chance to test the refinements suggested by Usyk's camp under real‑world pressure. "If I can implement what I've learned and still come out on top, it proves that the message of 'show greatness' works not just in theory but in practice," he concluded. In summary, Anthony Joshua's recent training experience with Oleksandr Usyk's team has left him with a clear directive: greatness should be a daily habit, not a one‑off spectacle.
By internalizing that philosophy, sharpening his preparation, and staying true to his knockout power, Joshua aims to deliver a performance that satisfies both his own standards and the high expectations set by one of boxing's most disciplined camps.