Thursday 14 February 2019 16:04, UK
After Anthony Joshua confirmed his New York fight against Jarrell Miller, we have assessed a number of possible US training bases for Britain's heavyweight star.
The undefeated world champion defends his WBA 'super' IBF and WBO belts against Brooklyn's 'Big Baby' Miller at Madison Square Garden in New York on June 1, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
Ahead of his American debut, 'AJ' must relocate from his preferred Sheffield headquarters, so we asked Sky Sports expert Matthew Macklin to list a number of training options for Team Joshua.
For New York, in terms of going out to do your road work, I genuinely did it on a treadmill, or for the Gennady Golovkin fight I used Riverside Park. You're not really going to be running out in the middle of Manhattan. You would have to stop at every block.
Anthony Joshua's a heavyweight, but he still wants to eat well, and when I was making weight there, all you could smell was pizzas. The gyms are good, although New York is not the hotbed it was in the 80s or 90s.
It's over in Brooklyn, but I wouldn't go there, because it's very busy, it's more white collar boxing.
There are some pro fighters that are based there, and I know Mark Breland trains a couple of guys there, but if you're Joshua you want it fairly private. I would imagine that Trinity would be his best bet.
I trained there for the Sergio Martinez and Gennady Golovkin fights. The guys there were brilliant, very accommodating. They understood it was a big world title fight and they made sure the ring was available whenever I wanted it.
But someone like Joshua, the level he's at, I don't think these little things will be an issue. I think he can pretty much call the shots and set-up where he wants.
It's pretty good. They've got a basement room, and I'm pretty sure they could get that for themselves. That's been around for a while. Great set-up, great facilities. Not many fighters now fight out of there, it's a lot more white collar boxing.
Anthony is very used to having the set-up he's got up in Sheffield, where he's got all the privacy he needs, or it's as busy as he wants it. I think Connecticut is certainly a possibility.
Obviously Katie Taylor trains there, she's promoted by Eddie Hearn, and that's something they could set-up fairly easy. He's out of the way, but not too far from New York, so he would certainly be over the jet lag and everything like that.
That's up in Pennsylvania, so that's the east coast equivalent of 'Big Bear' mountains. That's quite possible, or even training in the city of Philadelphia. Some people like the peace and quiet and solitude of Pocono. Lennox Lewis obviously did.
I'd imagine Pocono or Philadelphia would be ideal, because he's out of New York, and the hustle and bustle of everything. In Philadelphia, there's lots of great sparring, lots of rough and ready gyms. Great atmosphere, great fighters, only an hour from New York.
Some good fighters train out of there, but Joshua won't be using that, because 'Big Baby' Miller has based himself at that gym before. Genuinely when there's a big show in town, they often do the media workout there.
Miller works with a guy called Harry Keitt, who was with John Duddy quite a bit, a few years back. Harry is a decent coach and he's been with him from day one, as far as I know.
It's busy, pretty hectic, but a great atmosphere in there.
The least, for me, would be seven days. That would be the bare minimum, but me myself, I would probably go out there a month before. Get over there, shake off all the jet lag.
AJ has got a great set-up in Sheffield, he's happy there. It's not broke, why fix it? He may get all the hard work done here, fly over eight days before. Have the weekend to shake off the jet lag and the week before you just taper down.
Watch Anthony Joshua defend his world heavyweight titles against Jarrell Miller at Madison Square Garden in New York on June 1, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
