02 August 2023 , 12:05
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Anthony Joshua has insisted he hasn't been waking up in silk pyjamas whilst training for his rematch against Dillian Whyte.
Former two-time heavyweight champion Joshua, 33, faces familiar foe Whyte at The O2 arena on August 12. 'AJ' is training out in Texas under coach Derrick James as the rematch marks their second fight together, with the trainer guiding Joshua to his first win in over two years when he beat Jermaine Franklin in April.
Joshua has dismissed Marvin Hagler's timeless quote about waking up in "silk pyjamas" as he is living in a little house in Dallas whilst training for the fight. "You should go out to Dallas and go to his little house which is the most f****ng mental environment I’ve ever seen. A load of them in the house, I went out there and it’s so far removed from silk pyjamas," Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn said.
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"For someone who’s achieved the money in the bank he's got, with the money he's got, the fact he's willing to go out there in that heat, put that work in, sit in that little house with everything designed to improve what he does, no f****ng around, no going out, no dinners out, going to sleep early, it’s just pure graft."
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Joshua is working with his third trainer in the space of three years as he parted ways with Robert McCracken after his first loss to Oleksandr Usyk and then split with Robert Garcia after losing the rematch. A win against Whyte would set up an illustrious clash against Deontay Wilder in Saudi Arabia, but for now Joshua is solely focused on the task at hand.
"I hate losing and if I would have adopted the experience and the talent the fundamentals that I have and the side of the game that I have now then I would have been successful in my approach to certain fights. People wouldn’t be talking about it, but due to the fact I’ve lost, it gives an element of conversation. What’s beautiful about sports is there’s always a next opportunity to prove yourself," Joshua said.
"If we look at history, everything will work out for me. I’m not going to be the first athlete and I’m not going to be the last to go through it. I’ve just got to ride the wave and stay consistent, throw them silk pyjamas in the bin. Everyone can write you off but if you believe in yourself and you continue on your journey, 100 per cent you will overcome. It’s just fact."