Nigerian-born former two-time world heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Olaseni Oluwafemi Joshua has stepped up his training routine with some gruesome drills ahead of his long-awaited grudge fight with fellow-Briton, Tyson Fury later this year.

Sports247 gathered that, in order not to be caught off guard by the very resilient Fury during their hugely expected bout in December, Joshua has resorted to an ancient method of stretching his body to the limit, while staying in peak shape.

Joshua, who has always been known to devote himself to tough physical drills during training, is keeping himself trim for the clash with the help of an ancient stretching machine, as the countdown gets tighter towards their epic bout in Cardiff, Wales on December 11th.

With the fight’s venue eventually taken away from Madison Square Garden in New York, USA, after Joshua’s camp held firm on it holding in the UK, the London 2012 Olympic Games gold medalist wants to take full advantage of stepping out on familiar terrain.

Before Cardiff was eventually chosen, both boxers continued raising contrasting views and exchanged hostile banter but, with the issue now solved, Joshua has shared a video of himself hooked up to a modern-day version of an ancient body suspension and stretching kit.

A report by UK’s SunSport adds, “In medieval times, Slavic martial artists and warriors would use a version of the machine to strengthen their tendons and open up their joints to stay combat-ready.

“Joshua looks to be just that after having his limbs and back contorted by the gruelling apparatus. At one point in the video, AJ was suspended in the air by his arms and legs (then) effortlessly twisting his core and lower back nearly 180 degrees.”

Sports247 reports further that it us now left to be seen if the unorthodox fitness technique would be good enough not only to keep ‘AJ’ in peak shape but also build his staying power, ahead of what could jolly well be a long night in the roped square with ‘The Gypsy King.’

​Inter Lagos fought back in the closing minutes to secure a 1–1 draw against Kano Pillars in an entertaining Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) clash at the Onikan Stadium, Lagos, on Wednesday.

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​The visitors appeared set to claim all three points after taking a first-half lead and stubbornly defending their advantage for most of the contest.

​However, Inter Lagos maintained intense pressure through the second half, mounting attack after attack in search of a route back into the game.

Their relentless persistence paid off late in the match when Bashir Abdulkarim capitalized on a defensive opening to slot home the equalizer.

​The drama triggered wild celebrations among the home fans as Inter Lagos snatched a hard-earned point from the jaws of defeat.

​While Inter Lagos can draw confidence from their resilience, Kano Pillars will be frustrated by their failure to manage the game and secure the victory.

The result leaves both teams with a point each, further reflecting the tight, unpredictable nature of this season’s NPFL campaign.