Tony Bellew believes the only way Anthony Joshua 24-2 (22) can defeat Oleskandr Usyk 19-0 (13) in their rematch is if he returns to his aggressive best.
Brit Joshua, 32, lost his WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles to 35-year-old Ukrainian southpaw Usyk by unanimous decision at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in Tottenham, England last September. The scores were 117-112, 115-113 and 116-112, all for Usyk.
In the wake of the loss Joshua was criticised by some fans and pundits for attempting to box with the master boxer rather than using his superior size, strength and power to impose his will on Usyk.
It seems the criticism did not fall on deaf ears. Joshua spent some time in the US after the fight scouting a new trainer. He settled on Robert Garcia and Angel Fernandez. Garcia is known for teaching his boxers to fight aggressively.
Retired former WBC cruiserweight champion Bellew is expecting an improved performance from Joshua in the northern summer at a venue and date to be determined.
“For me, the biggest factor going into this fight is what is AJ doing up [mentally]. It’s got to be a seek and destroy mentality, nothing else. Do not box a boxer. Drag him into a fight,” Bellew told The DAZN Boxing Show.
“Work to your strengths and weaknesses and use them to your advantage. I’m telling you, this guy is the best athlete the heavyweight division has ever seen. He’s the quickest, he’s the most powerful. You put this guy in a sprinting race and he’ll smoke any heavyweight on the planet in a 100-meter sprint.
“You’ve got a certain type of skills that got you a heavyweight title. Don’t deter from them now. Go in there and use them to the best of your ability. If you fall short, so be it, but come up short knowing you’ve done everything you possibly could to win this fight.”
Earlier this year Joshua admitted the loss hurt him and still stings him every day.
“I know I can be better than that night,” Joshua told BBC Sport. “It’s easier to say than it is to do, but within my heart and soul, my brain and body, I truly feel I’ve got a lot more to give. I’m angry. It’s growing, but it’s fueling me every day.
“I think people still recognize me as champion, even though I haven’t got the belts round my waist. They know I’ve got the capability of becoming champion.
“I had to make changes. If you remain the same, you get the same results.
“I’ve got to look at myself, I can only be accountable for me. I’m angry at myself and the only way I can be in a better place is to get myself right by going out there and performing. It’s going to be like this for a few months.
“I do things with a smile on my face, but behind that there’s a lot of tension brewing and the only way to get it out is by training and performing.”