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Tag: Anthony Joshua

  • Ahead of Andy Ruiz Jr fight: Swollen eyes does not bother Joshua

    Anthony Joshua was adamant his swollen eyes were not going to be a problem ahead of his heavyweight title defense against Andy Ruiz Jr in New York later today.

    The IBF, WBA and WBO champion is making his debut in the US but appeared to have a swollen right eyelid, a cut to his nose and swelling under his left eye.

    However, Joshua brushed off the damage as simply part of his preparations for the fight.

    ‘What happened right, I was sparring a lion, because I really want to take this camp seriously,’ Joshua told Sky Sports.

    ‘It’s just been tough, difficult training. I’m a fighter so the scars and stuff – look at my hands and stuff. That’s just another added war wound to my list of scars so that’s all it is.’

    Read Also: Joshua calls for tougher stance on fighters

    But the unbeaten 29-year-old dismissed the significance of his facial injuries, joking about how he sustained them during a sparring session.

    Trainer Rob McCracken insisted he was pleased with Joshua’s preparations, despite Ruiz Jr being introduced as a replacement after Jarrell Miller failed a drug test.

    “It’s been a good camp. He’s in good shape,” McCracken told Sky Sports. “The Miller change was difficult, but Ruiz is a better fighter I think.

    “A similar style comes forward, puts pressure on, but AJ adjusted. He’s worked hard. Good sparring and good sparring partners as well. He’s focused on the fight.

  • I’ll have made it, once I get the last title — Joshua

    Unified world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua says he will only feel he has “made it” in boxing if he captures Deontay Wilder’s World Boxing Council (WBC) title.

    Joshua, the World Boxing Association (WBA), International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Organisation (WBC) champion, faces Andy Ruiz Jr on Saturday at Madison Square Garden.

    Joshua said: “Yeah, it looks like I have made it but it’s only when I put my hand on the last title – and win on Saturday – then I can say I have made it.

    Read Also: Joshua calls for tougher stance on fighters

    “It’s been down to calculated steps. It’s been a good journey, a tough journey. On the sides of the journey there are billboards, then with time, two billboards but it’s all about winning in this sport.

    “I haven’t put a foot wrong yet and I am not looking to put a foot wrong on Saturday either.”

    Saturday’s fight at Madison Square Garden will see AJ end nine months of inactivity, during which talks with Deontay Wilder have yielded nothing in the shape of a historic contest where one man could win all four heavyweight world titles for the first time.

  • Luis Ortiz refuses to fight Anthony Joshua

    Luis Ortiz will not replace Jarrell Miller as world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua’s opponent on 1 June, the Cuban’s promoter has said.

    Joshua was due to fight Miller at New York’s Madison Square Garden – the British fighter’s US debut.

    But Miller was denied a licence after an “adverse finding” from a sample taken on 20 March.

    King Kong Boxing accused Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn of using Ortiz, 40, as a “gimmick”.

    Read Also: Anthony Joshua: I was a footballer as a child

    “We just received news from promoter that it’s a no-go and it was all a gimmick and Hearn’s low-ball offers will not be accepted,” wrote King Kong Boxing on Instagram.

    “No contract even ever got sent so sorry to all the loyal fans. Luis really wanted this title shot.”

    A new opponent for IBF, WBA and WBO champion Joshua is expected to be announced this week with Hearn having said the boxer’s “preparations continue” and eight boxers were being considered as Miller’s replacement.

    Among those under consideration and named by Hearn were Ortiz, Poland’s Adam Kownacki and American Michael Hunter.

    Ortiz has lost just once in 32 fights, against WBC champion Deontay Wilder in March 2018.

    BBC

     

  • Joshua to receive confirmation of world title challenger next week, says Hearn

    Anthony Joshua will receive confirmation of his world title challenger in the “early part of next week” with an America-based opponent viewed as the ‘ideal’ choice, says Eddie Hearn.

    The unified world heavyweight champion will press ahead with his planned US debut at Madison Square Garden in New York on June 1, live on Sky Sports Box Office, after Jarrell Miller was refused a boxing licence following an adverse finding from a drug test.

    Miller has protested his innocence and will await a B-sample, but promoter Hearn has drawn up a shortlist of alternative opponents for Joshua, and expects to make an announcement in the coming days.

    “Obviously it’s a fight in America, so from our point of view, we would like an American challenger really,” Hearn told Sky Sports News. “I don’t think it will be Dillian Whyte.

    “You go through the list: Luis Ortiz; Adam Kownacki; Michael Hunter; Manuel Charr; Agit Kabayel, the European champion who beat Derek Chisora.

    “There’s probably seven or eight guys I think would fit the bill. Being an American debut, in an ideal world we would like it to be an American, or someone that fights in America.

    REad also: Joshua’s opponent Miller fails drug test

    “We’re going through that and we’re going to be working hard in the next couple of days. There will be an announcement from us in the early part of next week, locking in Anthony Joshua’s next opponent.”

    Luis Ortiz, whose sole defeat came in an exciting battle with Deontay Wilder, was initially one of the preferred options, although Hearn is unsure if the Cuban will take the fight.

    “Luis Ortiz was one of the first people that I spoke to actually, his manager, a guy called Jay Jimenez, who we’ve worked with before.

    “He told me it was too short notice. I disagreed with him, but they are going to be speaking to their fighter. I think the Luis Ortiz fight is a great fight, he has been promised the Deontay Wilder fight as well, by his team, which is a bit worrying for us to hear that news.

     

  • Joshua’s opponent Miller fails drug test

    Anthony Joshua’s U.S debut against Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller has been thrown into doubt after Miller tested positive for a banned substance.

    Matchroom Promotions supremo Eddie Hearn took to social media and announced that he had been informed by VADA of the positive test. The test, taken on March 20th from a random urine sample, has come back positive with a substance called GW1516 which is a banned performance-enhancing substance.

    ESPN broke the news, with Miller’s co-promoter Dmitry Salita saying he awaits further information and Miller is still in training for his June 1st fight.

    Miller (23-0-1, 20 KOs) had been reported to earn around $4.5 million for his fight against champion Anthony Joshua, it would appear his chance has been blown with the NYSAC unlikely to sanction the bout at Madison Square Gardens. A negative B sample and supporting evidence would be required for any chance of the fight going ahead.

    If the bout is cancelled, as seems likely, it is unclear who will step in to face Joshua.

    Read also: Video: Anthony Joshua knocks out Povetkin

    According to Eddie Hearn, Joshua will be fighting on June 1st. The obvious choice would have been Dillian Whyte, however, he has turned down an offer to face Joshua at Wembley Stadium in April, unhappy with the terms of the deal so it would appear unlikely he would travel to the U.S to take on Joshua.

    Joshua’s IBF mandatory challenger, Kubrat Pulev, has recently been suspended by the Californian State Athletic Commission after kissing a female reporter after their post-fight interview. His disciplinary is scheduled for May 18th.

    A more likely candidate could be Michael Hunter (16-1, 11 KOs), the former Olympic champion has only lost once against Oleksandr Usyk as a cruiserweight.

    Since moving to heavyweight he has won the vacant WBA International Heavyweight Title by beating Alexander Ustinov by TKO last November. Hunter seems to be interested.

  • Lack of investment robs Nigerian boxers of spots in Heavyweight category

    A retired National Boxing Coach, Samson Aransiola, on Monday said that indigenous boxers were being robbed of a place in the heavyweight category because the sport lacked adequate investment in the country.

    Aransiola, also an instructor in the Nigeria Institute of Sports (NIS), said that the country was blessed with talented pugilists who can contest at the highest level but with limited funds to realise their dreams.

    “The country is blessed with great boxers, I doubt if any country is equally blessed as we are but lack of investment in the sport has been a hindrance till date.

    “Boxing is a high rewarding sport and we can see the returns it has generated all over the world, but still many investors, including the government continue to look away,’’ he told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    “To participate in the heavyweight category will involve lots of investment with high dividends; but to really put it, boxing ranks one of the highest yielding sports in terms of investment all over the world.

    “Looking at the number of great boxers made in Nigeria, then we cannot say that we are short of talents that can dominate the world, but something is lacking which must be addressed.’’

    READ ALSO: Student’s missing boxers found in mate’s wardrobe

    Aransiola said that if indigenous boxers were given a chance at the world stage, Nigeria would be dominating the heavyweight category.

    “If Nigerian boxers are given adequate investment and exposure, we will dominate the heavyweight category because we have had our boxers there before.

    “Now, Anthony Joshua is ruling the heavyweight category and he is of Nigerian ancestry. We have also had Samuel Peter in the same position before and others aspiring.

    “Nigerian boxers are terrific fighters and dogged, so I am not shy to say that they are a match for their contemporaries across the world.

    “It is not out of place if we invest in boxing to bring a heavyweight contest to Nigeria because I am sure it will worth every investment because of its large follower ship,’’ he said.

    NAN

  • Joshua’s money-spinning sponsorship deals revealed

    Not only is Anthony Joshua a formidable force in the ring, the 29-year-old has an impressive portfolio of commercial endorsements.

    The heavyweight champion has quickly become a lucrative figure in his own right, striking deals with big name brands such as JD , Lucozade Sport and Beats to name a few.

    Ranging from clothing to television and cars, Joshua has an extensive collection of endorsements from which he reportedly earned £2.7million in 2017.

    Ultimately, the ‘Team AJ’ brand depends very much on Joshua’s success. With over 240,000 tickets reportedly sold for his previous three fights and an impressive 22-match winning streak, the British star’s image is bigger than ever.

    In 2015, Joshua embarked on a joint-venture with Freddie Cunningham and set up their own company, AJ Boxing and Commercial, primarily earning money through 13 sponsorship deals.

    This collection of sponsors is the marketing force behind ‘Team AJ,’ promoting the brand and its image across a wide range of platforms.

    Joshua’s deal with promotional company Matchroom Sport is believed to be worth £100m in itself, while Forbes reported endorsement figures of $7m for 2017.

    Whenever he appears for promotional eventshe wears Under Armour or Hugo Boss and you can be sure he’ll have a pair of beats headphones to hand and perhaps a Audemars Piguet watch around his wrist.

    He invested in BXR gym in London and is provided with a set of wheels by Land Rover while the Londoner also has deals with Lucozade, Lynx, JD Sports, StubHub and Bulk Powders.

    In the ring, Joshua has taken the boxing world by storm after reportedly taking £15 million from the bouts with Wladimir Klitschko and Carlos Takam respectively, with total winnings suggested to be $32 million as of May 2018.

    He boasts an incredible record of 21 knockouts from 22 fights, most recently defeating Alexander Povetkin by TKO in September 2018.

    Soon, he will be heading stateside as he looks to conquer attractive markets outside of the UK and fans don’t have to wait too long to see their man in action.

    For the next couple of months, Joshua will be preparing for a massive world heavyweight championship battle against Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller in New York. The fight is scheduled for June 1st and will take place at Madison Square Garden .

  • Joshua signs multi-fight deal with US network Showtime

    IBF world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has signed a multi-fight deal with US network Showtime as he looks to make a name for himself across the Atlantic.

    Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn announced the news at a press conference’s for Joshua’s maiden defence of a world title against Dominic Breazeale, which takes place at The O2 in London on June 25.

    Showtime will show the fight live in the States and screen more of Joshua’s bouts in the future as he hopes to climb the heavyweight ladder and become a unified champion of the world.

    “British Boxing is at an all-time high,” Showtime Sports executive Stephen Espinoza told reporters.

    “There are more UK champions that at any point in history. Boxing is such a global sport… Joshua has global potential. We have featured Kell Brook, George Groves, Billy Joe Saunders.”

    Joshua, who has a perfect 16 KO record in his 16 professional fights, defeated Charles Martin to win the IBF title last month.

  • Mind your Language: Rape charity group warns Anthony Joshua

    Nigeria born British heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua has come under heavy attack from Rape charity group after the group picked holes with his comment over Cristiano  Ronaldo and his rape allegation.

    Joshua who is full of admiration for the Portugal international who he noted keeps waxing strong despite all the distractions, highlighted  tax and women as some of the obstacles of success for athletes.

    ‘I’ve always said two things you’d get f***** for as an athlete is women and tax, he’s got f***** for both and he’s still smiling, still strong,’ said Joshua at a promotional event in New York. ‘You need mental strength, he’s proved that.

    ‘He’s a family man, he’s got that aspect, but still out working and he’s dedicated to what he does.

    ‘So as a sportsman he’s had the issue of one side, he’s got the family on the other side, and he balances what he’s passionate about,” he said

    But Joshua’s submission has been condemned by the Rape crisis body for England and Wales who described the submission as inappropriate and trivialisation of a serious issue.  

    The comment it added should not be coming from a person like Joshua considered a role model.

    Katie Russell, the Rape Crisis England and Wales national spokeswoman, told The Telegraph: ‘It’s inappropriate, insensitive and disrespectful to make jokes or flippant remarks about allegations or instances of sexual violence and abuse in any context.

    ‘Arguably, those in the public eye, who may be considered a role model to many, including impressionable young people, have a particular responsibility not to trivialise such serious issues.

    ‘Experiences of sexual violence and abuse, can have wide-ranging and long-term impacts on victims,’ and survivors’ health, lives and relationships.

    ‘As a society, we need to develop more empathy and understanding about that if we are ever to see more of those impacted by sexual violence and abuse get the support they need, want and deserve.’

    Ronaldo has denied raping Kathryn Mayorga in a Las Vegas hotel in 2009 even as Mayorga claimed she was paid £280,000 hush money to keep quiet about the incident.

  • Haye warns Joshua on Miller fight

    David Haye has warned Anthony Joshua not to be ruled by emotion when he fights Jarrell Miller on June 1.

    The ex-heavyweight champ publicly gave the advice to the current king after he trash- talked his opponent at two heated press conferences over the past week.

    Writing in his Betfair column, Haye said: “The odds might be short on another AJ win against Jarrell Miller, but don’t underestimate his opponent. Trust me, there is always danger in the heavyweight division.

    “Whenever there is a heavyweight who is undefeated, who stands 6ft 4ins tall and weighs 23 stone – well, all it takes is one punch. Anthony Joshua got decked by a 17 stone Wladimir Klitschko. Why can’t Big Baby Miller do the same? If he detonates a big shot on AJ’s chin, then he’s vulnerable.”

    At their first presser, Miller shoved Joshua and accused him of being on PEDs amid a barrage of other insults.

    In response, AJ bit back with his own uncharacteristically aggressive talk – a side to him the public has rarely seen.

    David Haye fears Joshua might end up using anger as motivation for his upcoming fight. A dangerous proposition.

    Haye continued: “He wants to get AJ angry and give himself a better chance of landing that big shot, and we’ve seen that in the last week in the press conferences for the fight.

    “I completely understood the gamesmanship we’ve witnessed. It seemed to rattle Joshua. I hope he calms down, listens to his coach and picks his punches because if he goes toe-to-toe, gets angry and fights with his heart on his sleeve he could end up walking onto a knockout shot.

    “Remember, he nearly came a cropper against Dillian Whyte because there was so much heat before the fight that AJ went into the ring desperate to do a number on him. Come fight night, he got too close and walked onto a big counter left hook that nearly knocked him out. Hopefully, AJ learned his lesson from that one – not to let his emotions rule his head.”