Anthony Joshua plays poker to relax at training camp before Cardiff showdown with Kubrat Pulev
Heavyweight champ will face Bulgarian at the Principality Stadium in a month
ANTHONY JOSHUA has revealed he likes to play poker during his intense training camp.
The heavyweight world champion has posted numerous workout videos in recent weeks as he counts down to the defence of his titles against Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev.
But a BBC diary video has shown that the Watford-born superstar, who forced Wladimir Klitschko into retirement earlier this year, likes to chill with a game of cards.
The video, where the 6ft 6in man mountain is asked about pressure and how he keeps his mental focus, also shows us a small sneak peak into his preparation.
Joshua is seen eating with his entourage, flicking through his phone and playing a game of poker with his pals.
Promoter Eddie Hearn can be seen in the video, as well as childhood friend Leon Skinner and cousin Ben Ileyemi.
Both Skinner, an actor who also runs exclusive members' only party The Hangout, and Ileyemi a former pro boxer himself, were both with Joshua in Las Vegas earlier this summer.
The 27-year-old was asked how he deals with the pressure of a big fight.
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He said: "I just want to perform the same way I've been performing against other opponents so it's like pressure of performance rather than pressure of the event and how am I gonna feel dealing with the event. I just want to perform to the best of my ability, that's all it is."
He also says during training camp he tries to chill out to keep nervous energy from building up.
"It's just time to switch off, I have a fight to focus on, rest is key," he added.
"As a fight gets closer, pressure starts mounting. I don't want to get too excited that the jar gets too full and I'm ready to explode before I've even had the fight.
"I'm just trying to stay calm. Sometimes when I'm lying in bed it's like I can't sleep and I'm just thinking about it, like 'I can't wait to perform, it's going to be sick'.
"But I've got to see it as another day. You're in a constant mental battle between do I stay relaxed, do I just enjoy this moment because of what it is.
"It's a mental battle of how you deal with this occasion."
Anthony Joshua: The Fight of My Life will be on BBC One at 10.40pm on October 18