ANTHONY JOSHUA revealed he will never forget one “peach of a punch” that “shook him down to his boots”.
And that was from none other than long-time rival Dillian Whyte, whom he will face again on August 12 at the O2 Arena in London.
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The two heavyweights first faced off in 2015 with Joshua winning via seventh-round stoppage.
But Whyte made sure AJ would never forget that fight with a thunderous left hook in the second round.
Joshua told DAZN: “As I’ve gone to throw a right hand, you’re supposed to sit back on your back foot and rotate to get your leverage.
“What I did, I lent over my front hand, which puts me in the firing line and boom! A left hook hits me.
“I didn’t see it coming, because I wasn’t interested in what was coming back, I’m just interested in attacking Dillian.
“It was a peach of a punch and it shook me down to me boots.”
Joshua is gearing up for a fight with immense importance for his career after two consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk.
The 33-year-old, who bounced back with a win over Jermaine Franklin in April, and Whyte have been rivals since their teenage years.
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And Joshua’s fans are hoping his fellow Brit will help him rediscover his old tenacity.
The stakes are high for AJ as a win could lead to a blockbuster clash against Deontay Wilder.
However, the heavyweight remains optimistic ahead of the crucial fight.
Joshua said: “It’s a huge night for my career. I’m gonna be victorious, 100 per cent.
“That’s my goal, that’s my plan. And yeah, that’s my motivation.
“So yeah, I’m looking forward to it. Respect to the team. May the best man win.”