Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua 2: Eddie Hearn says AJ is under pressure for rematch

Anthony Joshua is under ‘a lot of pressure’ as he prepares for his heavyweight title rematch with Oleksandr Usyk, according to Eddie Hearn.

The British superstar is desperate to reclaim the WBO, WBA, IBF and IBO heavyweight world titles that he meekly lost to the Ukrainian at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last September.

Joshua, 32, is looking to exact his revenge on Usyk, 35, on August 20 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

He has locked himself away for the time being at Loughborough University with only a select few allowed a rare peak behind the scenes.

ALL THE INFO: Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk 2: Date, Card, UK Start Time, Ring Walks, Tickets, Live Stream, Odds and More

And AJ’s promoter Hearn admits he has become something of a recluse after he suffered his second professional defeat nearly a year ago.

Hearn told GQ: “There’s a lot of pressure in AJ’s world.

“I feel like he’s lived in this bubble for a long time. AJ doesn’t go out, really. He trains.

“He goes back to one of his houses. He sees his mates, does a bit of motocross, plays a bit of FIFA. But that’s it. 

“When you live in that world and you suffer defeat, it’s very lonely. Everyone turns on you. The adulation that you received from the public turns to ‘oh you lost mate, you ain’t actually that good, you’re useless.’ And I feel that he’s a very proud man.

“But I had several meetings with him almost immediately after, and he is one of those people who just wants to put it right.” 

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After the fight, Joshua was widely criticised for his game plan of trying to have a technical