As Anthony Joshua’s heavy feet stamped over the metronomic “vvvrrrrp” of the running machine’s belt, there stood one of his greatest rivals, inches away, staring him down. “You like coconut?” Oleksandr Usyk asked the British heavyweight, a look of anticipation in the Ukrainian’s eyes. Then came the slightest nod from Joshua, the movement almost indistinguishable from the rhythm of his running. “Yeeeeessss, you like!” was Usyk’s gleeful response.
“We’re now not here,” said Usyk, dressed in a yellow top and shorts and a blue bandana, the colours of his beloved country. “We’re on Miami Beach. We drink cold coconut with ice. And music!” Dancing and a kind of muted beatboxing ensued from Usyk, the next stage of his encouragement.
