AJ, it’s called boxing so go out and box

THE noises coming out of Anthony Joshua’s camp for 2021 are positive. Good.

The next three years will shape his legacy, as fighters are fond of saying these days. If Joshua (above) is to meet Tyson Fury twice next year, he can’t do it from a standing start.

Joshua has fought just twice since beating Alexander Povetkin at Wembley two years ago. Granted we have been hit by Covid but, even before the pandemic struck, Joshua’s schedule was light.

The one thing I say to kids when I visit gyms is that boxing is about continuity, about keeping going. Timing comes with practice. And timing determines if you get hit or not, as much as landing punches.

Joshua is scheduled to fight Kubrat Pulev (below) in December after a year out of the ring.

He fought twice in six months last year and avenged the defeat by Andy Ruiz, but he needs to get going now, even if he takes a financial hit.

Fighting regularly for less in these Covidaffected times is far more important for his career than waiting it out until fans come back.

Pulev is not an easy fight but it is one he should win. Though he has been beaten only once, it was a thorough rinsing at the hands of Wladimir Klitschko, who dismantled him in five rounds. Six years on, at 39, Pulev has not improved.

Joshua has, and he will be a strong favourite. The upset against Ruiz was a tough lesson but he is better for it, and he showed in the rematch that he is more than a one-trick pony, that he can adapt.

The December date has to be kept no matter what. Fury’s trilogy bout with Deontay Wilder is pencilled in for November, which clears the way for a massive 2021 for both.

These are unprecedented times for British boxing. We might never see the day again when all the major heavyweight titles are in the hands of champions living just 200 miles apart.

Joshua v Fury is a great fight in America, never mind here. This is a unique scenario. But to make the most of this period Joshua has to be active in order to be in the best shape possible.

Joshua is better when busy. And now is the time to crack on.