Anthony Joshua: Everything Worth Knowing

by Frank Monkhouse, 3 January 2024

Welcome to our in-depth, impartial, and reliable article on professional boxer Anthony Joshua of the United Kingdom. You may already know the name, even if you haven’t seen Joshua fight in the past, as the hard-hitting Londoner has become something of a celebrity in England and the United Kingdom in recent years. He is a decorated amateur, former world heavyweight champion, and holder of multiple belts. But AJ suffered back-to-back defeats at the hands of current champion Oleksandr Usyk, which cost the Londoner his belts and status as a world heavyweight champion.

How much do you know about Joshua, and how much do you still need to learn? The big-punching Briton is an amateur star, finding success in the unpaid ranks when winning a gold medal at London 2012. Since removing the vest and stepping into the arena of professional boxing, Anthony’s success continues at a great pace. He quickly worked his way past the top domestic names, even beating Dillian Whyte in an all-London scrap earlier in his career. Joshua then moved up a level, taking on the best in the world, and he was up to the task, becoming champion of the world in Fury’s absence. 

Today, AJ is without a belt after losing black-to-back against Oleksandr Usyk, forcing some pundits to predict Joshua was finished at the highest level. Has he run his race? Don’t bet on it. Will he bounce back and reclaim the world titles? That looks unlikely at present, as he has already lost twice to Usyk, and a third bout won’t happen anytime soon. That means he needs Tyson Fury to take pity on him and throw AJ a bone, allowing the man from Watford a chance to win the WBC belt and get back into the action.

Will we ever get to see AJ vs Fury?

Keep reading as we discuss where Joshua has been in recent fights and where we expect him to go from here.

What to expect

What can you expect to find and learn in this article? That’s easy; you will learn everything worth knowing about British heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua from London. We leave no stone unturned in bringing our loyal readers the most in-depth and up-to-date news and information on AJ, including his record, recent form, strengths and weaknesses, rivals, and his potential next fight. There’s plenty to get through here, and our team has done the hard work, so you don’t have to. We believe this article helps readers become more familiar with AJ and could help those making predictions on his next fight.

AJ was no overnight sensation, with the boxer shining at the London 2012 Olympics with his best performances broadcast across the nation and overseas. The great thing about AJ’s career is many boxing fans have followed the towering heavyweight since before he moved into professional boxing. Many already knew the tall and imposing AJ from the amateur scene, while diehard boxing fans kept pace with Anthony’s progress in the Olympic Games in the Big Smoke. This competition thrust Joshua into the limelight and taught him some valuable lessons about dealing well with pressure before the professional game took over, teaching the youngster the ropes.

Do you know who Joshua’s main rival is this year and who he could fight next? The puncher has many potential opponents for the season ahead, but which fights will we see in the coming weeks, and which will continue to sneak through the net? Fans would love to see Joshua face American Deontay Wilder, with the winner getting a shot at Fury’s belt. Some of the other areas covered in this feature article on Anthony Joshua include his record, notable fight and honours, form of his last five bouts, what could be next strengths and weaknesses, and much more besides.

Anthony Joshua’s record

• Total fights: 29
• Record: 26-3-0 (23 KOs)

Anthony Joshua exploded onto the scene over a decade ago when winning gold at the Summer Olympic Games in London in 2012 in the super heavyweight division. The amateur ranks run the super heavyweight category. Still, it doesn’t exist in professional boxing as most of today’s fighters would fall into the super heavyweight category, and the heavyweight division would be all but empty. Joshua had the golden touch as an unpaid fighter, winning the gold medal at the 2010 and 2011 ABA Championships and at the 2010 Great Britain Championships. Despite his form, AJ was unable to strike gold in the World Championships, and he ended with the silver medal.

Having achieved everything he wanted to in the vest, Joshua’s handlers knew it was time to move him onto heavyweight boxing and test his cardio over the longer distance. All amateur bouts are three rounds of two minutes each with a 60-second rest. All professional rounds are also three minutes in duration. Still, the fewest number available is four, meaning it’s a step up from what fighters are used to in the amateurs, even the most successful amateur boxers. Not all great amateurs make great professionals, but luckily for British boxing, Joshua wasn’t another David Price; he could fight, had the bottle, and was ambitious.

Following a highly successful career representing London, England, and Great Britain at the Olympic Games, it was time for AJ to remove the head guard and concentrate on becoming a success in the professional boxing game. As any ex-fighter already knows, amateur and pro boxing are very different sports, with the amateur code based on points scoring and building a lead on the scorecards with every clean punch awarded a point. Professional boxing is more subjective with the judges called into action if there are no knockouts and the fight goes the distance. Amateur boxing is points scoring, and professional boxing is hurting your opponent and imposing your strength on them.

Transition to professional boxing

When Joshua finally moved to professional boxing, he did so on the back of great success at the London 2012 Olympics. He probably thought he had done everything he wanted to achieve in the unpaid ranks. The man from Watford, London, was set to be unleashed on the professional heavyweight boxing circuit, and despite his lack of experience, he entered the ring as the fans’ favourite. 

AJ debuted at the O2 Arena in North Greenwich, London, with a first-round TKO win over Emanuele Leo, with that contest settled as quickly as possible. Anthony got off to the best possible start, but he wasn’t finished there. He now had a taste for early knockout wins.

After blowing Leo out of the water early on his professional bow, AJ went on a long unbeaten run, which included several showreel knockout wins in the early exchanges. He won his first 14 bouts inside the first three rounds of the contest, with the first opponent to take him beyond that stage, Dillian Whyte, in 2015, again at the O2 Arena. Some of the names included on that quickfire hitlist include Dorian Darch, Matt Legg, Matt Skelton, Jason Gavern, Kevin Johnson, and Gary Cornish. Each fighter started the contest, and a worthy opponent, experienced enough to give the new boy a challenge, but they all fell inside three.

Despite his early run of knockout wins, Joshua is now a fighter who likes to take his time and punish opponents with his long jab and strength before taking them out of the equation when it’s the right time. He has been beaten twice himself, with one loss coming in the form of a brutal knockout to Andy Ruiz in the United States before the eyes of the watching world, much to the shock of both fans and boxing betting sites alike. AJ has grown and matured over the years and is now ready to move on to the next chapter of his career, where he could get his belts back from Usyk or Joshua. That’s the plan, but he must improve on his recent form.

Strengths and weaknesses

What are the strengths and weaknesses of respected heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua? When writing this section of our review, we were spoiled for choice of positives to say about AJ, and there aren’t many weaknesses, as you’d expect from a former world champion. It seems strange to try to pick holes in Joshua’s ability, but he has blown hot and cold in recent years and will want to perfect his game. Keep reading as we highlight some of the positives from Anthony Joshua’s game and areas where he must improve if he is to stand any chance of returning to the top step and regaining his beloved championship belt.

Anthony Joshua has two main attributes as a professional boxer: his physical strength and his boxing skills. Standing at 6ft 6 inches tall and weighing around 250lbs, AJ is a human wrecking ball. He is big, strong, can take a punch, and has power in both hands. The explosive heavyweight often tailors his weight to match the demands of the fight. If he’s facing a heavy fighter, for example, he may choose to come in light with the aim of being faster with his hands and feet. When faced with a quicker and more skillful opponent, he often aims to add bulk and use the increased weight to bully the man starting in the opposite corner. Keep your eyes on his weight ahead of his next fight, and you’ll know if he’s coming to box or brawl. You can then use this information to predict how the fight will end, either in a KO or a points win.

Few weaknesses

What are Joshua’s weaknesses? It’s fair to say he doesn’t have many, as he is an Olympic gold medallist and former two-time world champion, winning several respected belts. His stats show AJ has lost three of his last eight contests, with two defeats on the scorecards and one by KO. He was knocked out by Andy Ruiz Jr in New York, with the American shocking the world to win the belts, but AJ bounced back. The Englishman boxed a perfect fight to win a quickfire rematch and regain his belts. We’ve hardly seen much of Ruiz since, with the Destroyer’s weight continuing to let him down.

It would be unfair to make this call solely judging on his loss to Usyk, but it’s becoming obvious AJ doesn;t take well to other fighters who like to box and move. AJ’s strength means he’s always looking to get big shots off and use his power to influence the contest. That didn’t work against Usyk in either of their two bouts. Joshua seems to struggle against good boxers who like to use the ring and move around, attacking from different angles.

Notable fights and honours

Since debuting with that early knockout win in North Greenwich, Anthony Joshua has had many notable fights and won a plethora of respected titles. Like fellow British heavyweight Tyson Fury, AJ came up the hard way, refusing to allow his status as an Olympian to help him jump the queue. He took a very traditional route, but he was fast-tracked due to his size, speed, and experience in the summer games in London. Handler Eddie Hearn brought AJ along at a pace to suit, timing his explosion onto the main stage perfectly.

Joshua won his first major title in 2014 when collecting the WBC International following a second-round knockout of Denis Bakhtov. That wasn’t the biggest and most illustrious title win of his career, but it placed him on the path to bigger and better things. Joshua’s hard work finally paid off in 2016 when he beat Charles Martin to bank the IBF strap, whetting his appetite for more of the same. Joshua cemented himself as a global superstar in 2017 when beating German-based Ukrainian fighter Wladimir Klitschko by knockout in the penultimate round. It’s unknown if AJ would’ve won if the fight had gone the distance, but he didn’t want to leave his fate in the hands of the judges.

Joshua scooped many respected gongs during his rise to the top of the sport. He won titles, including the IBF, IBO, and WBA world heavyweight straps. Also, he took lesser awards, including the Commonwealth and British belts, which were always popular routes for true lovers of British boxing. Fans like to see fighters see off the best the country and then continent has to offer before jumping in at the deep end.

Notable rivalries

You don’t get to the pinnacle of boxing’s greatest division without making a few enemies along the way, and Anthony Joshua was at the top for an extended period of time. During his dominance, AJ was the man to beat, meaning the best fighters wished to scalp the man from Watford and take his belts. It didn’t happen until that surprise win for Andy Ruiz Jr, but that was seen as freak luck. Oleksandr Usyk beat AJ at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London and then again in Saudi Arabia.

Fury’s main rival in the ring has been another London heavyweight in Dillian Whyte, and the pair had met once back in 2015 when AJ weathered a heavy storm before scoring a stunning knockout win. There has been talking of a much-anticipated rematch, but that failed to materialise, with the Body Snatcher suffering setbacks and accusations of doping in the sport, something he strongly denies. 

Having dispatched Whyte, AJ now has another rival in fellow Brit and current WBC champion Tyson Fury. Joshua no longer has a belt to bring to the table, but fans hope Fury will forge ahead with previous plans to fight Joshua, giving British boxing lovers something to look forward to and showcase to the world. Will AJ and the Gypsy King finally face off in the ring and put their quarrel to bed? You can have your say and make predictions on the bout, even before it’s announced, and you have until the end of the year for the contest to happen, or bettors will get their money back.

Last five fights

Let’s now look at Anthony Joshua’s last five fights, which show his unconvincing run of form but also suggest he has steadied the ship and is moving in the right direction again. You’ll see the opponent and method of victory, which may help improve your predictions when betting on Joshua’s next contest. 

What’s next for Joshua?

Who will Anthony Joshua face next? The Londoner boxed and won in December, stopping Wallin inside five one-sided rounds, so it could be a few months before we see him back inside the ring. Who will he fight when AJ does return? There are a few options, but one sticks out above all else.

The fight we want to happen this year is – scrap that. The battle we demand to see this year – is Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury at any major venue in the UK.