Anthony Joshua will be supporting Oleksandr Usyk when the Ukrainian faces Tyson Fury on February 17.
Joshua shared the ring with Usyk on two occasions, losing on points both times, but he holds a great deal of respect for his fellow heavyweight and is backing his former rival to emerge victorious against the current WBC champion.
Before that bout, Joshua has his own business to take care of when he faces Otto Wallin on December 23.
A win for Joshua is likely to set up a huge bout with Deontay Wilder, and although he’s focused on his next assignment, AJ has had his say on the other big clash that’s upcoming in his division.
“I don’t know [who wins] but I’m team Usyk anyway. [There’s] a respect, but Fury’s said a lot of bad things about me,” said Joshua when speaking to TNT Sports.
“I’m never gonna ride with someone that disrespects me. That would make me a lunatic and I’m pretty level-headed. So, I’m gonna go with the person who shows me respect.”