Anthony Joshua is usually the talk of a fight card when involved. However, in Saudi Arabia, things are different this week.
The British former two-time heavyweight champion is making headlines for his peculiar behavior, not least at the public workout.
Joshua decided not to do what every single other boxer on the card did – work out for the media who waited for them to appear.
Instead, Joshua went through a bizarre situation of watching as local children took his place. The occurrence was astounding to witness.
As he prepares to face Otto Wallin on Saturday night, it’s not the only thing worrying fans and media about AJ. His media duties have been causing a stir, too.
One word answers to some of those he doesn’t care for is not the Joshua that built his reputation. Something seems off, and we’ll only know if another Andy Ruiz Jr. kind of shock is brewing on fight night.
Wallin pushed lineal champion Tyson Fury to the absolute brink in a 2019 thriller. This remains Wallin’s only career loss. Joshua really has to be switched on, which he doesn’t seem to be.
Anthony Joshua’s erratic behavior
He seems more concerned about Jarrell Miller and making sure the personnel involved he doesn’t like know he’s not playing ball with them.
Despite the faff, Joshua did speak to Matchroom Boxing about his preparation for the ‘Day of Reckoning.’ However, when it comes to giving the other fighters of the bill their props, Joshua decided to keep things in-house.
“In terms of camp, I respect all of the fighters,” he said. “They’ve been there before me. To go in there, I’m aware I’ve got to respect their space as well.
“I’m not in there like the big Charlie, ‘yeah, I’m here now.’ No, I respect everyone there. I show them love.
“I’m a big supporter of boxing. Everyone wants to do well. Everyone wants to push themselves. So I’ve gone in there with that energy – ‘come on, let’s go, let’s push ourselves, how can we get better?’
“Jeamie TKV and I do our crunches and abs together. Leigh Wood and I do circuits together, Shabaz [Masoud], Pat and Luke [McCormack], and all the other boys in there. I respect the coaches as well.
“It’s a really good environment that gym. I’m happy I was there early enough that I basically had a full camp for this fight.
“Even though it came up at a late stage, like seven weeks out, I’m really happy that I was in training camp early because I didn’t want to miss this opportunity for the world.”
Mindset
In addition, on competing in Riyadh alongside some of the highest-ranked heavyweights in the world, he added: “This is the best fight card in history.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen one like this,” pointed out Joshua. “You put it on most fight cards, but you’re outside.
“You’re on the phone, eating, cooking, and when the main event comes on, you rush back to your seat. This one you want to be sat down from start to finish. Make sure you tune in.”
Joshua is no stranger to fighting in Saudi Arabia, having exacted revenge over Ruiz Jr to regain his crown on an unforgettable night at the Diriyah Arena 2019.
However, he lost to Oleksandr Usyk after being defeated convincingly in London by the formidable Ukrainian. He then acted strangely in the aftermath and was roundly criticized for it.
Even when beating Robert Helenius, something still wasn’t right after the victory.
Can he stave off a fourth career defeat? It could be curtains for Anthony Joshua’s career if he can’t.
