British heavyweight boxer, Anthony Joshua, recently talked about his approach to the sport in an interview with Sky Sports Boxing. In the interview, uploaded on Twitter by the network, he discussed his strategy and mindset as a boxer. Joshua considers himself more of a boxer than a fighter and explained that his physical attributes, including his height and range, make him better suited for a technical style of fighting rather than brawling.
Joshua mentioned that he doesn’t have an aggressive or confrontational personality which makes him favor a more intellectual approach to boxing. He explained that he sees himself as a boxer rather than a fighter as there is a thought process and methodology involved in his approach.
"I'm not a fighter – I'm more of a boxer, there's a thought process, there's a method behind the madness." 🧠 pic.twitter.com/EemCpzYwkW
— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) April 25, 2023
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
However, the two-time former unified world heavyweight champion acknowledged how important it is able to fight when necessary. Joshua further explained that he prefers to ‘box’ even though there are times when being aggressive can be better. He seemed to focus more on the areas he can improve in.
Joshua wants to be effective during the fight, no matter the situation. As there may come an opponent in the future, who’ll be quite tough, and as a boxer, you need to be prepared for such a day. Meanwhile, the results of the doping test for his fight against Jermaine Franklin just came out. Witnessing his most recent victory against Franklin, his plans seem to have worked out.
Fans react to Anthony Joshua’s statement about being a boxer rather than a fighter
While some fans have praised him for his introspection, others are not convinced that this new perspective will serve him well in the ring.
Darren, for example, believes that Joshua’s decision to focus on boxing rather than fighting has been detrimental to his career. He argues that Joshua’s success against Wladimir Klitschko and in his first fight against Andy Ruiz Jr was due to his aggressive fighting style. In contrast, he finds Joshua’s recent performances boring and unimpressive.
Whoever told him this ruined his career. He was a fighter v klitchko and that’s what took him to the top. The Ruiz first fight he was a fighter. Yes he got beat but was a phenomenal fight. He has been boring to watch ever since
— Darren (@bigd19871) April 25, 2023
Peter Adam agrees with Darren’s assessment, arguing that Joshua should focus on his natural attributes of speed and power, rather than trying to box his opponents. He points to boxers like Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury, who can outbox their opponents, as examples of the type of fighter Joshua is not.
And that’s where he’s going wrong…..he’s not a technical fighter like usyk or fury who can box rings round people so he needs to get back to using his attributes which are speed and power and start trying to take guys out instead of trying to box them
— Peter Adam (@petera1872) April 25, 2023
Jm1892 takes a more cynical view of Joshua’s new perspective, describing him as a “chess piece mover” who is trying to avoid taking risks in the ring.
This fella 🥴🥴 he thinks he’s a philosopher! Will he steering well clear of any risks ! A chess piece mover this guy
— Jm1892 (@John5Mulvey) April 25, 2023
Andy Hartley, however, believes that Joshua is a better fighter than a boxer. The fan stated he would be better served by adopting a more aggressive fighting style.
He’s a lot better fighter than a boxer, if he’d stick to fighting rather than boxing he might still be champion
— Andy Hartley (@Andy_Hartley123) April 25, 2023
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Dezza, meanwhile, predicts that Joshua will lose to Deontay Wilder if he continues to approach boxing as a boxer rather than a fighter.
He’s getting beat by wilder if he thinks he’s a boxer, he’s never been a boxer he’s a finished
— Dezza (@boxingfan1314) April 25, 2023
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Overall, fans have mixed reactions to Joshua’s new perspective on boxing, with some praising his introspection, while others remain skeptical about the benefits of his new approach.
Watch This Story: 5 Best Accomplishments of Anthony Joshua’s Amateur Boxing Career