Tag: Joshua

Anthony Joshua has argued for stringent regulations to be put in place when fighters fail dope tests in the wake of Jarrell Miller’s meagre six-month ban.

Joshua was set to defend his WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles against Miller on June 1 at Madison Square Garden, only for the Brooklyn challenger to reportedly test positive for a number of performance-enhancing drugs.

Andy Ruiz Jr has stepped in as the replacement for Miller, whose six-month suspension from the WBA has raised the latest debate about whether enough is being done to combat illicit substances in the sport.

Joshua told Press Association Sport: “Maybe there needs to be more of a situation where it’s not just a random six-month ban. I know, for instance, if I carry a bladed article I’m going to get x amount of time in jail if I carry a weapon of destruction I’m going to get a certain amount of time in jail, so you know (the consequences of what will happen).

“Six months is news to me, it’s like ‘why did he only get six months?’ It should be ‘Miller’s definitely getting this’, that’s my opinion on it. There should be something where people know if they mess up, this is exactly what is happening.”

The frequency with which elite fighters step into the ring means a six-month ban has been branded inadequate in many quarters.

Joshua himself will have had a gap of more than eight months since stopping Alexander Povetkin last September in his most recent outing and when he takes on Ruiz Jr in New York.

Joshua labelled the situation “crazy” and though he was eager to turn his attention towards his next opponent, the 29-year-old admitted his disappointment at missing out on the opportunity to silence the brash Miller.

Joshua said: “It is frustrating but at the same time we’ve got good people around us who manage these types of things and events. I’m happy I haven’t had sleepless nights trying to find an alternative opponent. I’ve concentrated on my training and that’s all that matters, I think, so Miller to the side, who’s next? Andy Ruiz and the show goes on.”

California-based Ruiz Jr has won 32 of his 33 professional contests, with the only setback a razor-thin majority points loss to former Joshua opponent Joseph Parker in December 2016.

A heavyweight showdown between Anthony Joshua and Jarrell Miller could be announced next week, with the unbeaten American set to decide his next move in the coming days.

Joshua was penciled down to defend his WBA, WBO and IBF titles at Wembley on April 13, but has so far failed to lure Deontay Wilder, Tyson Fury or Dillian Whyte into making a deal.

Promoter Eddie Hearn has long suggested AJ could ditch that date in favour of making his US debut against Miller later this year.

The two camps have been in several and fruitful discussions over a possible fight, most likely in June at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

Miller, who claimed this week there is a 50-50 chance of either him or Whyte facing AJ, has other options on the table, namely a fight with Trevor Bryan in an eliminator for the WBA title.

But while the likes of Whyte have publicly slammed offers made by Hearn, Miller’s promoter Dmitriy Salita said the Matchroom chief has been fair in negotiations. He claimed now the time has come for Miller and his team to decide which deal is the best for his career.

‘We communicate frequently with Eddie and our conversation is always productive and transparent. We are discussing all possibilities and will let everyone know what the future holds in the coming days,’ he told Sportsmail.

‘Jarrell is one of the biggest names in the heavyweight division, especially from the US. This is a super fight that has significantly fewer obstacles than other big fight possibilities for Joshua.’

He added: ‘It’s always been our goal to get Jarrell to the world title and for him to join the great heavyweight legends that have come from Brooklyn such as Mike Tyson and Riddick Bowe. I am confident that the (AJ) fight will happen at the right time.’

Eddie Hearn revealed Anthony Joshua is ‘close’ to coming to terms with Dillian Whyte for their rematch in his next fight. Joshua has been searching for an opponent for his April 13 fight night at Wembley and is in talks with Whyte and American heavyweight Jarrell Miller.

The Miller fight would take place in June in New York, but Hearn conceded Joshua-Whyte could also be moved to a later date. That would mean Joshua would axe his date at Wembley and Hearn explained that even if Whyte accepts AJ’s offer, it may be postponed. ‘It is close, Whyte and AJ are close,’ Hearn told Thaboxingvoice.

‘There is a chance if we don’t go April 13 with AJ-Whyte, we can still do that in May or June in England. The Jarrell Miller fight is an option for June. It’s just a case of weighing up if it’s the right time for AJ to come and make his debut in America. ‘I do think there’s value in doing that, but you can’t really win in this game because people always say Joshua is a homeboy. [When he says] he’ll come to New York and fight this loudmouth in New York, he’s then running from the others.

‘I just think at some point he needs to make that US debut and in the landscape at the moment, this would be an interesting moment. It all comes down to who actually wants it.’

He added: ‘We’re not interested in milking. If we can’t get the fight the UK fights fan, then we’ll come to America.’ The saga over Joshua’s next opponent has raged since October when the three-belt world champion said he wanted to fight the winner of Deontay Wilder v Tyson Fury.

Hearn has been unable to convince Fury and Wilder to fight Joshua, and the heavyweights are expected to stage their rematch in the coming months. Miller’s bid to face Joshua has gathered more and more steam since the start of the New Year and the American said this week he believes he is in pole position to be the next fighter to challenge for the WBA (Super), IBF and WBO belts.

Trainer Ben Davison says Anthony Joshua and his management team are going to need to give Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury a 50-50 deal if they wish to make either of those fights happen.

Davison, who trains former IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Fury (27-0-1, 19 KOs) says Joshua and his promoter would need to decide whether they want to look at the Fury and Wilder fights in terms of it being a business.

Davison feels that Joshua could end his career missing out on the Wilder fight just like Lennox Lewis and Riddick Bowe retired without facing each other.

“Their [Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn and Anthony Joshua] problem in making the fight [with Deontay Wilder] is they’re looking at it too much as a business fight,” Davison said to IFL TV about the Joshua vs. Wilder unification fight.

“It depends on what your goal is. If your goal is to make as much money as possible, then yeah, negotiate it out, fight to the death over the last few percents, whatever it is. In my eyes, if you want to make the fight, it’s 50-50, if two champions are coming together. It’s 50-50 if you want to make that fight because you will end up in a situation where we did with Lennox Lewis and Riddick Bowe. We may never see that fight,” Davison said.

“I believe Joshua wants that [Wilder] fight, but I believe his team’s views will say to him, ‘Okay, this is what you’re worth, and this is what Wilder’s worth. If this fight generates this, you should earn this amount.’ Okay, is it just business to you, because if it is, no problem. You may never get the fight,” Davison said.

“It’s about credibility and status. If he [Joshua] wants a fight against the other two [Wilder and Tyson Fury], it’s going to have to be 50-50, because neither of them is going to take it. No one wants to give an inch. It might be different if he were making Floyd Mayweather money. He [Joshua] doesn’t make Floyd Mayweather money. If he [Joshua] wants to make that fight [against Wilder], it’s 50-50. He [Joshua] needs to stop looking at this as a business, and stop arguing out percentages, this man’s worth and that man’s worth,” Davison said.

Anthony Joshua has released a knockout Boxing Day surprise to super fans who unexpectedly found themselves face-to-face with the unified heavyweight world champion in the ring.

Footage released by Sky VIP on Boxing Day shows the stunned reactions of boxing fans who were taking part in what they thought was a masterclass with the boxer’s training team.

In the middle of the workout, the boxing champion disguises himself as part of his own training team and steps into the ring to challenge the group.

Mega fan Kate Hill is seen throwing some punches as she spars with what she believes to be one of Joshua’s team before delivering a knockout blow which floors her mystery opponent.

With concern mounting and worried faces all round, Joshua reveals himself to the group – who break out into a series of gasps and shrieks as they face their boxing hero.

Speaking after surprising his fans, Joshua said: “Today has been a laugh, it’s been exciting and I’ve met a lot of good people. I’ve used a lot of energy, done a lot of pads and surprised a lot of people. It’s been an amazing day and I’ve had so much fun seeing the reactions of everyone.”

Ms Hill added: “Going head to head with AJ today was one of the best experiences of my life.”

“It’s a money can’t buy prize. One of the best things we’ll ever do in our lives,” another member of the boxing class Marek Regan said.

The boxing initiative celebrates the innovative Sky VIP loyalty programme, which rewards customers with a range of tickets, experiences and access to Sky tech and service.

Adam Smith, head of Sky Boxing, said: “We’ve had a lot of fun giving our customers such a special thank you. They were really excited to be here training with AJ’s team and their reactions were phenomenal.

“The one-on-one nature of this is so personal I don’t think any of them will forget this for a long, long time, and we encourage all our customers to join Sky VIP and find their own incredible experiences. There’s plenty more like this happening all the time.”

To join the programme and learn more about the rewards available to Sky customers, head to the My Sky app and select Sky VIP on the home screen.

There is no more winter sun for Anthony Joshua as he returned to the gym after a holiday with a challenge to his heavyweight rivals.

Joshua has been sunning himself in Jamaica in recent weeks, but on Wednesday morning posted pictures to his Instagram page showing he was back in training.

The British boxer accompanied pictures of him in weight training along with a message that he was going to knock out any contender for his world titles.

Joshua posted a clip of him weightlifting, working his body and legs with huge dumbbells balanced across his shoulders.

It was accompanied by a caption in lurid green writing: ‘Bigger and stronger! Knocking all top 10 fighters out one by one’.

Joshua was working under the eyes of Nike trainer Jamie Reynolds, who also posted a black and white image of the world champion fighter in his weight lifting regime.

It was a marked change of scene for Joshua from last week when his social media was filled with pictures of him living it up in the Caribbean.

While away in Jamaica, the heavyweight champion showed a different side to his performing repertoire as he grabbed a microphone and put his singing to the test alongside reggae artist Beenie Man.

Joshua’s next fight is set to be at Wembley Stadium on April 13 next year. Speculation persists that he will fight the winner of Tyson Fury against Deontay Wilder, who clash on December 1.