Joshua has altered his training setup since that setback, bringing in American trainer Robert Garcia to partner up with Angel Fernandez in his corner in an attempt to revenge his professional career's second defeat.
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On Sunday afternoon, Matchroom Boxing announced that the rematch between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk will take place on August 20 in Saudi Arabia. Joshua, who lost his WBA, IBF, and WBO championships to Usyk in the first fight, will try to recapture them in Saudi Arabia, like he did against Andy Ruiz in December. The Ukrainian, who climbed up to heavyweight in 2019 after unifying the cruiserweight class, was defeated by AJ in a unanimous decision. Usyk’s triumph was decided by the judges, who awarded the 35-year-old 117-112, 116-112, and 115-113 in the inaugural London tournament.
??? ??????? ????????? ? @usykaa & @anthonyjoshua run it back Aug 20 for the unified World Heavyweight Championship ? #UsykJoshua2 #RageOnTheRedSea pic.twitter.com/kPeqISFRzn
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) June 19, 2022
Joshua has altered his training setup since that setback, bringing in American trainer Robert Garcia to partner up with Angel Fernandez in his corner in an attempt to revenge his professional career’s second defeat. After avenging his first professional loss with a points victory over Andy Ruiz Jr in Diriyah in December 2019, the 32-year-old is back to Saudi Arabia for another rematch. Usyk is regarded as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport, having won the undisputed world cruiserweight title in 2018 before earning three heavyweight titles.
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A rematch clause was instantly triggered, but Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February raised doubt on when Usyk, the former undisputed cruiserweight champion, would return to the ring again. Usyk, 35, returned to Ukraine to fight for his country, but he was granted special permission to depart and begin preparations for this fight months later, with a date and location already set. The fight will take place in the 35,000-seater Jeddah Super Dome, and Joshua, 32, has made some modifications in his quest to win the world heavyweight title for the third time.
Rob McCracken, who had been with the team for a long time, has gone on, and Robert Garcia has been recruited to his team to work alongside Angel Fernandez, who was previously there. Joshua will be fighting for the second time in the country, having reclaimed his world belts with a points victory over Andy Ruiz Jr in Riyadh in December 2019. Joshua called his recent career a “roller-coaster,” adding, “Fighting championship level back to back has had its pros and cons, but I decide every day to get stronger, to learn from my experiences and grow. A happy fighter is a dangerous fighter and I am the happiest and most motivated I have been.”
