Anthony Joshua must be 'smarter' and 'start faster' than Oleksandr Usyk when the pair meet for their blockbuster rematch because 'he waited too long before he got started', according to Roy Jones Jr.

Joshua, 32, lost his belts to Usyk in heart-breaking fashion, cutting a rather forlorn figure as the Ukrainian put on a masterclass in front of 62,000 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in September.  

But the boxing legend believes he was actually doing quite well before the final bell rang but by then it was too late to make much of a difference.

And Jones reckons Joshua just needs to start throwing punches early rather than leaving everything until the last minute. 

Asked what AJ needs to do in the rematch, Jones told iFL TV: "What he has got to do is be smarter, start faster.

"To me, if he had started faster in that fight, he would have won the fight because it’s not like he got wiped out totally, it's just that he waited too long before he got started.

Roy Jones Jr is the trainer of Chris Eubank Jr

"When he got started, he won a lot of rounds, but he started late and gave the first three rounds away. You can’t do that against a fighter like Usyk, who is basically a boxer.

"He’s not looking to knock you out. He’s looking to outbox you, outpoint you. If you give him the first three rounds, he’s won the fight already.

"All he’s got to do is survive and win one here and there, and he’s good, and that’s what happened."

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

Promoter Eddie Hearn has said the rematch could take place as early as March or April in 2022.

Speaking to talkSPORT, Hearn also insisted he would like to see the fight take place in the UK but admitted they've received a 'couple of international offers' as well.  

He said: “There’s nothing wrong with the Ukraine, I have no idea what it’s like in February, but I’d like it back in the UK.

“We will sit down with Usyk’s team and we will look at the options. We’ve had a couple of international offers come in for that rematch as well.

“I said to AJ the other day ‘are you sure you don’t lose these fights deliberately just to have these massive rematches?’

“It’s a huge fight again, but I’d love to do it back in the UK, probably in March or April. It’s a fight he must win.”

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