Anthony Joshua training partner has no doubt how Tyson Fury fight goes: "He's going to find that shot to get him out of there"

Anthony Joshua preparing to face Tyson Fury in the Fall

Joe Maphosa has been in some extraordinary company during his boxing career.

The Middlesbrough-based professional spent time training with the Team GB setup early in his career, sharing a gym with some of the biggest names the sport has produced in a generation, and, he says, the experience changed everything.

In an exclusive interview with Pure Digital PR, Maphosa shared his experience with the former heavyweight world champion. "It was a tough experience, really tough experience," Maphosa recalls. "We had big names in the sport all at the same time."

The names he reels off read like a who's who of modern British boxing. "We had Anthony Joshua hitting the heavy bag on one side of the gym. And then you had Joe Joyce and Daniel Dubois sparring on this side."

But it was his time with double Olympic gold medallist Nicola Adams that stands out most vividly. "You had Nicola Adams, who used to be my sparring partner; she used to beat me up a little, actually. She was that good. Olympic gold medallist, two-time Olympic gold medallist."

For a young fighter still finding his feet in the sport, being surrounded by that level of talent on a daily basis was both daunting and transformative.

"It was just great to be around those sorts of names and gain the experience that those fighters had," he says. "That energy is contagious and it helped me in my career to really propel forward. That experience helped me to sort of get ready for the next stage of my career, and it is something that I'll always be forever grateful for."

"AJ Is Going to Knock Him Out"

With Anthony Joshua preparing to return to the ring against Kristian Prenga, Maphosa, who trained alongside the heavyweight champion during his Team GB days, does not doubt how the fight will play out.

"AJ is going to knock him out," he says without hesitation. "I think AJ's mindset now is probably a lot stronger than what it was previously, just because of the tragic accident that happened recently."

It is a confident prediction from someone who has seen Joshua up close, and one that reflects a broader sense within boxing that the former world champion is entering this fight with a renewed sense of purpose.

"He's Going to Land That Big Right Hand"

If Joshua gets past Prenga, the fight that has been discussed for years could finally be on the horizon. A showdown with Tyson Fury has been five years in the making, and Maphosa is in no doubt about who comes out on top.

"With AJ vs Fury, I'm an AJ man, so I'm going AJ by stoppage," he says. "I think he stops him in the middle rounds, it's going to be shaky at first."

Maphosa acknowledges that Fury's movement and awkward style will pose problems, but believes Joshua has the tools to find the decisive blow.

"He's going to find that shot. Fury is hard to track down, but he's going to land that big right hand and he's going to get him out of there."

For Maphosa, the prospect of the fight is one that the sport has needed for a long time. "I'm looking forward to it. It's a big fight that everyone's been waiting for the last five years."

Coming from a man who has shared a gym with Joshua, sparred with Adams and watched Dubois and Joyce go to work, that kind of enthusiasm carries real weight. Joe Maphosa has seen what elite boxing looks like from the inside, and he knows a big fight when he sees one.