Joshua: I’m training harder now than I was for Klitschko
Anthony Joshua will try and win a third world heavyweight belt when he takes on WBO titleholder Joseph Parker at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on March 31 and believes he is already in better shape than he was at this stage of training for his two previous fights.
The English boxer is currently lighter now, 17 stones, eight pounds, than he was when he faced Takam at a career-heaviest of 18 stones, two pounds.
Joshua says his lighter weight is down to his hard training regime and a determination to impress against New Zealander Parker, rather than punish his rival champion for calling him “king of steroids” and questioning his punch resistance.
“Last week we did 20 rounds in the gym which I wasn’t even doing for the Klitschko fight, and what have we got?” Joshua told reporters.
“We’re still 11 weeks to the fight. We’re steps ahead. Obviously it’s down to performance and occasion, but in terms of steps to where we are, to replicate the Klitschko and Takam fights, we are leaps and bounds ahead.”
Joshua, who lives in north London when he is not training, has made some slight alterations to his daily schedule which he believes will lead to improvements against 26-yearold Parker (24-0, 18 KOs).
“I’ve learnt from experience of training camps to still work hard but I’ve added intelligence to it,” said Joshua, who is trained by Rob McCracken.