Tag: Anthony Joshua

Two-time world heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, has set his sights on becoming a three-time world champion and facing off against Tyson Fury in 2025.

The British-Nigerian boxer revealed his ambitions while speaking to journalists during a visit to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the president’s Ikoyi residence in Lagos yesterday.

 “My target is to become a three-time world champion and fight Tyson Fury in 2025,” Joshua stated confidently.

Reflecting on the ups and downs of his career, he acknowledged past setbacks, but reaffirmed his commitment to rising stronger, saying:  “Of course, I should have won [past matches], but I didn’t. I can’t stop now; I have to keep going until I reach my destination.”

Joshua, who is in Nigeria for the holiday season, described the energy in the country as “10/10″, expressing gratitude for the warm reception by President Tinubu and praised the hospitality extended to him and his family.

 “They did an amazing job hosting me. I got to see how the country is organized and run and learn about the big plans for the future,” he said.

Discussing his plans for 2025, Joshua emphasized his determination to seize every opportunity and improve on his past performances.

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 “Hunger makes you want to work harder because time is limited. When I look back at 2024, I believe I could have done more, and now I have another chance in 2025. I’m going to make sure I take every opportunity,” he said.

Asked about the prospect of facing Tyson Fury, Joshua acknowledged the uncertainty, but welcomed the challenge.

 “We’ll see. Let’s get in the ring. Only God knows, but for me, we’ll see in the future,” he remarked.

Joshua also shared a heartfelt message for Nigerians, both at home and in the diaspora.

 “To all Nigerians in the Diaspora, you have a place called home. It’s a beautiful place, and the energy here is unbelievable. I love you all with my heart,” he said, pledging to support local communities.

 “Even though I’m in London, I’ll make sure to bring good energy, opportunities, and work back to Nigeria,” he said.

• Abiodun  pledges  to build  boxing ring in honour of  ex-champs

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has announced plans by his administration to construct a brand new Anthony Joshua Indoor Boxing Ring in the state.

Abiodun also announced that the two-time former world heavyweight boxing champion would be lighting the Gateway Games National Sports Festival torch, which has been postponed to May next year.

He made this known yesterday  when he hosted the two-time world heavyweight boxing champion in his office.

He said: “I want to openly request that, besides the fact that today we are going to officially confirm you as our sports ambassador, we want to request that you come back to light up the Gateway Sports Festival torch; you will be the one lighting it up.

“We are going to construct a brand new Anthony Joshua Indoor Boxing Ring, and that boxing ring will be in a stadium here in Abeokuta to ensure that you come home more frequently. Besides the fact that you are now our official sports ambassador, we have decided that we will give you a brand new house in Sagamu.”

The Governor urged Joshua to find ways of supporting the state in the area of sports development by working alongside the Director General of the National Sports Commission and the state Commissioner for Sports Development to host a boxing championship in the state.

He continued: “We want to plead that you also find ways to support us back home. We believe that we should have tournaments planned leading to the sports festival, and you were expressing how you will participate and what you can do to mentor.

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“We leave you to work with our Director General of the National Sports Commission and the Commissioner for Sports Development on what we can do to ensure that we have activities leading to the sports festival in your boxing arena.”

“Proudly, we bid for the National Sports Festival for this year, and we won that bid. The festival was supposed to be in January; however, for some technical reasons, it’s been postponed to sometime in May.

“In preparation for the sports festival, we are spending a lot of money; we are totally refurbishing, rehabilitating, and reconstructing our sporting facilities. As you know, sports is a universal language; it brings people from different parts of the world together,” he said.

The Governor noted that the state is blessed with many talents spread across music, arts, and sports who are doing very well and, at the same time, placing the state on the world map.

He  added that the state is extremely proud of the achievements of Anthony Joshua on the world stage, saying that his administration would support his career in every way it can.

“Your coming back home will be a source of motivation and inspiration for many young men who are aspiring sportsmen, and we have quite a lot of them in Ogun State.

“I want to congratulate you on what you have achieved in such a short span of time. You’ve made a short story of your life and your career.

“Whatever we can do to encourage you to continue to win more laurels for yourself, your family, for the state, and Nigeria, be assured that we will be more than happy to do that. We watch your career grow, and we are going to support your career in every way we can,” he said.

Earlier in his remarks, Anthony Joshua noted that he would work towards promoting Ogun State to the rest of the world by showcasing the numerous talents in the state.

Anthony Joshua has been issued a ban from boxing following his brutal defeat by Daniel Dubois last week.

The Watford-born fighter was knocked out in the fifth round at Wembley in front of 96,000 fans at Wembley by the 27-year-old domestic rival.

Dubois retained his IBF heavyweight title with an impressive victory, knocking down his challenger four times.

As per protocol, Joshua is now prohibited from stepping into the ring for 28 days, with the British Boxing Board of Control enforcing the rule.

The Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports highlights that it’s standard procedure for fighters to be issued medical suspensions after suffering KO and TKO defeats.

The short ban is unlikely to hinder Joshua given that his next opponent is yet to be named after he insisted he will continue to box.  

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Following his defeat by Dubois, the two-time champion said: “And you’re probably asking, “Do I want to continue fighting?” Of course I want to continue fighting.

“That’s why I said we took a shot at success and we came up short. And what does that mean right now?

“Are we gonna run away? Are we going live to fight another day? And that’s what I am. A warrior.”

Joshua also praised Dubois, saying: ‘We have to give credit to my opponent Daniel.

 “When I sign up to fights, opponents I don’t really like them in my head anymore, but now it’s done, I take my hat off to him and say well done to him and his team.”

Meanwhile, Eddie Hearn initially stated Joshua had a rematch clause to face Dubois again while being interviewed in the ring on Saturday night.

However, he has since confirmed that there is no release clause, and that Joshua instead has one fight remaining on his contract as part of ‘Riyadh Season’, which could be against Dubois.

Daniel Dubois would “love a rematch” with either Anthony Joshua or Oleksandr Usyk – depending on which boxer “pays me the most”.

Dubois retained his IBF world heavyweight title with a brutal fifth-round knockout of British rival Joshua at Wembley on Saturday, flooring the two-time former world champion four times in total.

Joshua has insisted his own boxing career is far from finished, with a potential rematch against Dubois as well as another all-British clash with Tyson Fury possible options for future bouts.

Dubois’s promoter Frank Warren, meanwhile, has said while there is no specific clause in his fighter’s contract for a swift rematch with Joshua, they could meet again if the right deal was agreed.

Usyk is set to face Fury in their own rematch on December 21 for the WBA, WBO and WBC belts.

Dubois was beaten by Usyk in August 2023, but not before the Ukrainian was sent to the canvas by Dubois in the fifth round – only for the punch to be ruled a low blow and the champion given additional time to recover.

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The 27-year-old Londoner said finance would determine the identity of his next opponent.

 “I would love a rematch, but either one really – whoever pays me the most,” Dubois told talkSPORT radio.

Speaking about the possibility of facing Joshua again, Dubois said: “If that happens next then yeah, I want to go for it.

 “I want to do it even better next time. I know where I need to improve as well, so as a champion and as a fighter I just want to prove people wrong every time and that is what we have been doing.

 “I think I would be a lot better than that (last fight). It was a great show, a Rocky-type fight, but next time I believe I will be more clinical, more sharp, everything better.”

Anthony Joshua vowed to fight on despite his devastating defeat against IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois at Wembley, with promoter Eddie Hearn insisting he “will definitely be back”.

Joshua, 34, was floored four times in the all-British showdown on Saturday as Dubois launched a relentless assault from the first bell that ended in a fifth-round knockout.

It was the fourth loss of his career and robs him of a shot at becoming undisputed world champion, raising major questions over his future in the ring.

Joshua was attempting to join an elite group including Muhammad Ali and Lennox Lewis in becoming a three-time world heavyweight champion.

But despite his defeat in front of a record-breaking official attendance of more than 98,000, the former Olympic champion is adamant he will not hang up his gloves.

 “Of course I want to continue fighting,” said Joshua, who declined to take questions at the post-fight press conference. “We took a shot at success and we came up short. What does that mean now? That we’re going to run away? We’re going to live to fight another day. And that’s what I am – I’m a warrior.

 “Always walk with your head high. We rolled the dice for the third time. There have been 13 world-title fights, not every one of them has been successful but everyone has been fun and entertaining.

 “There were a few mistakes in there but that’s the name of the game. Fine margins will cost you at the top level.”

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Matchroom Boxing boss Hearn, who promotes Joshua, believes a potential rematch against Dubois as well as a possible all-British clash with Tyson Fury, who faces Oleksandr Usyk on December 21, provide options for his man.

 “2025 is going to be an interesting year for Anthony Joshua, one way or the other, but he will definitely be back,” he said. “Whether it’s against Daniel Dubois, Tyson Fury or whoever, you are going to be entertained because that was incredibly entertaining, albeit you don’t want to see your fighter get beat like that.”

“Our interests are to make sure he leaves this sport with a legacy and a huge amount of money, but also his health intact.”

Dubois, 27, will await the outcome of Usyk’s rematch with Fury as he plots his route to becoming the heavyweight division’s undisputed king.

Ukraine’s Usyk, who beat Dubois last year, currently holds the WBC, WBO and WBA belts.

 “They were all saying I was going to get knocked out but we all saw who got knocked out,” he said.

 “I did the business and I’m glad I proved everyone wrong. But this is just the start of my journey. I want to get my rematch (against Usyk) and put that wrong right.”