Anthony Joshua inspired by hard hitting Earnie Shavers, who punched Larry Holmes so fiercely people were shocked he got up

Anthony Joshua is trying to emulate some of the 'old-school' training methods of heavyweight legend Earnie Shavers in preparation for his next fight.

The former world champion has joined forces with new trainer Derrick James in Texas ahead of his return against Jermaine Franklin on April 1, which is live on talkSPORT.

3

Pictures have emerged of AJ chopping wood in training camp and he has now explained the reasoning behind this - and it isn't anything to do with Rocky.

Joshua told talkSPORT: "I was just doing some research on boxing and I came across Earnie Shavers.

"Maybe other fighters did it back in the day, but Earnie Shavers is known as one of the strongest punchers out there.

"He just said he used to chop wood, that was their form of S&C (Strength and Conditioning).

"I have been focussing more on like old-school methods.

"S&C is a big part of sport now, but I think there's a difference from S&C when your outside of training camp to S&C when you're in training camp.

3

"So yeah, I think chopping trees and chopping wood is good for rotational power and all that type of stuff.

"I just took it on board and it makes good Instagram content!"

Most read in Boxing

Canelo Alvarez and William Scull create undesired boxing history after low-output fight

Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford date and venue confirmed after terrible Scull fight

Anthony Joshua to undergo surgery on troublesome injury as comeback fight delayed

'Robbed' - Fans fume as Martin Bakole vs Efe Ajagba ends in controversial fashion

Deontay Wilder is irrefutably the hardest hitting heavyweight of modern times, but his status as the most powerful puncher in history is often met with scepticism.

Shavers may not be the most glamorous fighter the heavyweight division has ever seen, but ‘The Black Destroyer’ is widely regarded as the hardest puncher in the history of the game.

“Nobody hits like Shavers. If anybody hit harder than Shavers, I’d shoot him,” wisecracked heavyweight Randall ‘Tex’ Cobb.

Following their fight in 1977, the great Muhammad Ali insisted Shavers was the hardest puncher he ever faced. “Earnie hit me so hard, it shook my kinfolk back in Africa.”

3

Exactly two years after defeat to Ali, Shavers came even closer to claiming the heavyweight world title when he planted a bomb on Larry Holmes’ chin and sent the notoriously tough champion to the canvas for the first time in his career.

Astonishingly, though, Holmes stunned everyone by climbing back to his feet and turning the fight around.

Like Ali, Holmes always declared that Shavers was the hardest puncher he ever faced, despite the fact he was later knocked out by Mike Tyson.

Shavers never won a world heavyweight title but he certainly made his mark on the boxing world with his presence still recognised by Joshua today.