Oleksandr Usyk’s training is starting to show. While honing his skills under the unified heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua now understands that as much as one learns inside the ring, boxing’s lessons carry over outside as well. That mindset showed up at the Netflix boxing event at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where he was seen recording the headlining bout between Tyson Fury and heavyweight contender Arslanbek Makhmudov.
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Fury won the bout via unanimous decision and later called out Anthony Joshua. With his promoter Eddie Hearn having already hinted at a potential matchup just days earlier, AJ appears to be preparing with that fight in mind. In that context, studying an opponent’s moves, tactics, and lapses becomes essential. Fans, however, saw it differently when Joshua pulled out his phone as Tyson Fury worked through the rounds against Makhmudov.
“Anthony Joshua filming Tyson Fury vs. Arslanbek Makhmudov on his phone 😂,” Netflix Sports wrote. “ Taking notes? 📝. ”
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The clip focused on sequences from the sixth round. While Fury and Makhmudov traded shots, picture-in-picture footage showed Joshua sitting beside Hearn, holding his phone toward the ring.
“Anthony Joshua, Eddie Hearn, looking on from ringside. Build a tactical analysis; you could see Joshua filming the fight on his way home, maybe doing a little bit of scouting,” the commentators could be heard saying.
Anthony Joshua filming Tyson Fury vs. Arslanbek Makhmudov on his phone 😂
⁰Taking notes? 📝#FuryMakhmudov is LIVE on Netflix pic.twitter.com/cPMbm22NTF
— Netflix Sports (@netflixsports) April 11, 2026
That moment might have seemed routine. But the stakes around it were anything but. With talk of a potential showdown building, Fury has already raised the pressure, saying he would quit boxing if Joshua doesn’t take the fight.
Against that backdrop, Joshua’s decision to record the fight stood out even more. And fans were quick to react.
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“😂 Joshua in full spy mode… taking notes for later 👀,” one wrote. Studying potential opponents isn’t new in boxing, but the way Joshua went about it raised eyebrows. With so much global coverage available, many wondered why he needed to record it himself.
Pointing in that direction, one fan put it bluntly: “Like there’s not already going to be plenty of footage out there for him to study. Save the storage space, bro. 😂”
Others kept the tone light but pointed, questioning the optics more than the intent. “Can’t blame him; best seat in the house and still pulling out the phone 😂.” At the same time, there is a case to be made in Joshua’s favor. Sitting ringside doesn’t always capture every detail. Recording or noting specific patterns can help retain what might otherwise be missed in real time.
Some reactions shifted focus entirely. Questioning Fury’s in-ring tactics, one fan said, “Probably stunned at the number of flicks and headlocks cheater Tyson (has) been using against Forest Gump’s opponent. ” Whether that holds up is subjective, but it shows how closely every detail is being scrutinized ahead of a possible clash.
Nakisa Bidarian added another layer to that thinking. He wrote, “AJ recording Tyson Fury’s corner is next-level chess. Question is, was Tyson’s corner playing chess back knowing AJ was recording?” In a fight of this magnitude, even small moments like these can become strategic advantages or reveal tells.
So while the moment itself may seem minor, the context around it isn’t.
With a marquee clash potentially on the horizon, the margins are only getting thinner. Whether he continues to train under Usyk’s setup or not, how well Joshua studies and adapts to Fury’s strengths and flaws could ultimately shape not just the fight but how prepared he looks when it finally happens.
Written by
Edited by
Gokul Pillai