Anthony Joshua has been on the offensive this week, denying several theories as to why he performed so badly against Andy Ruiz.
From a panic attack in the dressing room, food poisoning – to a late change of opponent. Joshua is adamant nothing untoward went down.
But one thing which went unaddressed was a knockout in sparring during a training visit to Miami.
Joshua released a video explaining his version of the Madison Square Garden loss, quickly skating over his Miami experience.
Describing his eating habits, rather than what camp was like there, Joshua clearly has memories from the trip he’d rather forget.
“The whole training camp team pulled together and did a great job,” said Joshua.“I started my camp off in Sheffield. I was working there about six, seven weeks. Then I came to New York. to continue my press tour.
“There were a lot of issues going on with this fight. With Jarrell Miller, (Luis) Ortiz pulling out. (Andy) Ruiz stepping in. But it all makes for the drama show, the entertainment of heavyweight boxing.
“I’ve travelled here, done my press conference and then I’ve travelled to Miami. The set-up was spot on. I didn’t go out. I was spotted out for lunch one day. The other days the chef was cooking, eating in house and so on and so forth. There was no contaminated food.
“I know there’s a lot of accusations about what was wrong with me, but I want to tell you this: I’m a soldier and I have to take my ups and my downs.”
Adding further on the damaging knockout, Joshua said: “On Saturday, I took a loss and I have to take it like a man.
“One of my sayings is, ‘never let success go to your head and never let your failures get to your heart’.
“It’s all about keeping a balance and moving forward. That’s the mindset I have to keep.
“It’s tough. When you lose sometimes It feels like it rips away a part of you,” continued Joshua. “But I’m never going to change. I’m still the same old me.
“I’m still ambitious and I’m going to walk around with my head held high like a champion. Because boxing is part of my life and I’m a champion at heart. I’ll apply and adapt that in the ring.”
WBN was given vert trusted information stating Joshua was hurt in sparring with Joey Dawejko.
Similar in stature to Ruiz, Dawejko shared rounds with Joshua but has seen been sworn to silence over the incident.
Joe Rogan ratified the happening on his podcast this week.
“I have from a good source that Anthony Joshua got dropped in sparring the week of the fight and he got hurt, real bad. That he was very tentative coming into the fight and very vulnerable,” said Rogan.
Speaking to Tyson Fury’s promoter this week, Bob Arum agreed Joshua just didn’t seem to have the fire in his belly.
ARUM
“I’ve seen Anthony Joshua fight before, and it looked like there was a different guy in the ring,” Arum told WBN.
“I mean I don’t know whether he didn’t train hard for the fight. I can’t figure it out.
“Nobody knows Andy Ruiz better than us. Apart from the Joshua fight and the one before, we promoted every one of his fights.
“He’s a gutty guy and he’s got fast hands, but he’s still ponderous on his feet and he doesn’t punch hard. So, I don’t know what the f** was I watching.
“I mean, I just can’t figure it out. I really can’t figure it out. Something was wrong. Something I can’t figure out. I mean unless he was caught off guard.
“You switch opponents on a guy. First, he’s fighting this big heavy guy in (Jarrell) Miller, and now he’s not fighting Miller, he’s fighting Andy Ruiz – who is barely a top ten guy. So he probably took his foot off the gas.
“He wasn’t prepared to fight, I don’t think – I don’t know. I’m sure he underestimated Andy, but still. You train for the fight but he didn’t have any gas left.
“Something was wrong, something was wrong.”
Asked whether facing Ruiz again in 2019 was a good idea, Arum added: “I don’t think going for an immediate rematch makes any sense at all.”