Former two-time heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua has stepped up preparations for his anticipated blockbuster fight against Tyson Fury by undergoing an unusual stretching and conditioning workout that has been described by British media as “torture” training.
The 36-year-old Nigerian-British boxer shared footage of himself using a Pravilo machine at his training facility in Dubai, showing his arms and legs being stretched outward while his body was rotated during the exercise.
Joshua captioned the Instagram video, “When the instructor says, relax and breathe,” highlighting the demanding nature of the session.
The Pravilo is a stretching and conditioning device associated with Slavic and Russian training traditions. The machine is designed to place the body in extended positions while allowing controlled movement and rotation.
Images from Joshua’s session showed him strapped into the equipment with his body extended into a starfish-like position before being rotated. The unusual workout attracted attention because of its visibly demanding nature and its departure from the conventional boxing exercises usually associated with heavyweight preparation.
Joshua is preparing for what is expected to be his first meeting with fellow British heavyweight Fury.
The proposed all-British showdown is now scheduled for December 11 at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, according to a report published by PUNCH on Thursday. Both fighters have reportedly agreed to the Cardiff venue after earlier discussions involved locations including New York and Wembley.
Reuters previously reported that December 11 was the tentative date and that final arrangements were still being completed. The fight is expected to be financially backed by Saudi boxing interests and broadcast by Netflix, although some contractual and logistical details had been under discussion.
The fight has been anticipated for several years, with Joshua and Fury repeatedly linked to a potential meeting without the contest materialising.
Both boxers returned to action in July as they worked towards securing major fights.
Fury stopped 46-year-old Mariusz Wach in the seventh round in Pattaya, Thailand, while Joshua recovered from two first-round knockdowns before stopping Albanian heavyweight Kristian Prenga in the second round in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Joshua’s victory over Prenga was his first fight since a serious car crash in Nigeria that resulted in the deaths of his close friends Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele.
The former unified heavyweight champion has also made changes to his training arrangements ahead of the proposed Fury contest. Joshua has reunited with trainer Ben Davison, who previously worked with Fury and is familiar with the former WBC champion’s approach.
Joshua had previously trained under Davison before moving to Oleksandr Usyk’s training team following his defeat by Daniel Dubois in 2024. He subsequently recorded victories over Jake Paul and Kristian Prenga.
The upcoming Fury fight would mark the first time the two heavyweight stars have met in the ring, making it one of the most anticipated British heavyweight contests of the current era.
Joshua has previously fought twice in Cardiff, defeating Carlos Takam in 2017 and Joseph Parker in 2018. A return to the Welsh capital would therefore provide another familiar setting for the British boxer.
As preparations continue, Joshua’s latest training footage has offered fans a glimpse into the less conventional methods being used to prepare his body for the demanding contest.
While the unusual stretching session has attracted attention online, the outcome of the December fight will ultimately depend on the preparation, tactics and performance of both fighters when they meet in the ring.
