Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk have paid homage to the celebrated Rocky III training montage as their unlikely partnership continues to blossom. The former rivals, who have faced each other twice in the ring, are now training together in Ukraine and Spain.
A Tribute to Cinema
Usyk posted an Instagram video on Saturday of the pair racing on a beach to the tune of the Rocky theme, recreating the iconic scene between Sylvester Stallone's Rocky Balboa and Carl Weathers' Apollo Creed. In the film, the characters also boxed twice before becoming training partners and close friends.
“This isn’t a movie remake, it’s a new story being created right now,” Usyk wrote in the caption. The video also shows the duo punching the heavy bag and interacting as they prepare for their imminent fights.
Joshua's Comeback
Joshua is building up to his comeback fight against Kristian Prenga on July 25 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The bout against the Albanian heavyweight is expected to be a tune-up before Joshua takes on Tyson Fury in a long-awaited 'Battle of Britain' towards the end of the year.
Usyk's Title Defence
Usyk, the two-time undisputed world heavyweight champion, is set to defend his WBC title against renowned kickboxer Rico Verhoeven in Egypt in a fortnight. Since being involved in a car crash in Nigeria that killed two of his close friends in December, Joshua has had camps in Spain and Ukraine alongside his former adversary.
