Anthony Joshua Locked in Pitch-Black Room for Four Days to Prepare for Fight
Anthony Joshua has given an insight into how he has changed his training camp ahead of his fight against Jake Paul.
Former two-time unified heavyweight champion of the world Joshua and YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul will go toe to toe at the Kaseya Centre in Miami on December 19 in a much-anticipated eight-round professional contest.
Paul has never been in with such a high-level opponent despite sporting wins over former UFC fighters Tyron Woodley, Ben Askren, and Nate Diaz, as well as boxing icon Mike Tyson – although ‘Iron Mike’ was 58 years old when the pair boxed in November 2024.
Joshua, who has shared the ring with all-time greats Oleksandr Usyk and Wladimir Klitschko, is expected to make light work of ‘The Problem Child’ by knocking him out in the first two rounds.
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Nonetheless, ‘AJ’ has maintained that he has treated his training camp the same as he would if he were fighting a top operator, such as Tyson Fury, whom he is expected to fight in 2026.
The Watford-born heavyweight recently admitted that he “went off track” for a few years as his commitments outside of boxing became greater.
In an interview with the Mail, Joshua explained how he has blocked out unwelcome distractions related to business, entirely homing in on boxing.
“I just want to compete, and that's where my mind is,” said the 36-year-old.
“I’m not going to the gym on the phone, thinking about did this VAT bill get paid? Has the rota been done? Has this employee's contract been done? I'm not thinking about that stuff.
“I'm thinking about how can I beat up my sparring partner? How can I look good? How can I hit the bag today?
“You have to really think about how you're going to do it. You can't just go through the motions. In training, you can't just rock up to training without thinking about how you want to perform. It takes a lot of mental preparation, and my mind is fully on the job again.”
As ever, Joshua appears in fantastic shape ahead of his fight against Paul, for which he will pocket a reported purse close to £70 million.
During camp, the Englishman has been working with Usyk’s strength and conditioning team, employing a holistic approach to get both his mind and body ready for the fight.
AJ has always been open to unusual training techniques and even paid £2,000 to sit blindfolded in total darkness for four days, two years ago.
When speaking to Men’s Health in 2023, Joshua explained: “There is a door, they open the door, slide in your food on a tray, you eat. You don’t see them. No phone. No TV. No radio. No audiobooks. Nothing.”
When asked the reason for using the bizarre technique, he replied: “Life is all about experiences. I want to have more character and go through more experiences. I’m doing it for character. If I go for a walk in the woods, enjoy the scenery, the birds chirping, I’m going for peace. In this, though, it’s just me and my mind.”
Since his 2023 interview, Joshua has fought just three times, beating Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou before sustaining defeat against Daniel Dubois in September 2024.
How to watch Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua if you don’t have Netflix
If you don’t already have Netflix, there is a workaround to essentially get it for ‘free’ as part of a bargain bundle.
Sky is currently offering its ‘Stream on Screen’ package - including Netflix, discovery+ and much more - for just £15/ month. It’s Sky’s lowest-ever price and will allow you to watch the big fight live along with Sky Atlantic, Sky Stream and Sky Essential TV.
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Topics: Anthony Joshua, Jake Paul, Boxing
Luke Davies