With Less Than a Week Left for His Fight, Anthony Joshua Names the Current Face of Boxing

Canelo Alvarez enjoys a massive following among boxing lovers. Admired in his home country, he boasts fans spread across the globe. About to close the second decade of his career, Alvarez reigns supreme as the undisputed champion of the Super Middleweight division. His accomplishments aren’t restricted to 168 pounds alone. Alvarez changed the opinions of many when he grabbed belts in other divisions, such as Light Middleweight and Light Heavyweight. So as one of the most recognizable names in the sport today, it should not be surprising that he has many supporters in the boxing fraternity. Among them, Anthony Joshua stands, literally, tall.

He will face Robert Helenius from Finland, a last-minute replacement for Dillian Whyte, on August 12 at the O2 Arena. Never hiding his admiration for Canelo Alvarez, a few weeks ago, while speaking to reporters, Joshua defended the undisputed Super Middleweight champion, often facing accusations of being way past his prime.

Canelo Alvarez, a boxer Anthony Joshua admires

Joshua said, “Credit to Canelo. He’s active. You know, we were trying to say Canelo’s not who he once was, and all that people just talk, bro. That’s what I’m saying. Of course he is. He’s a serious fighter. [That’s] that answers your question…so Canelo is a serious fighter, one of the best.”

Now, viewers have another piece of evidence that proves the kind of respect Anthony Joshua has for Canelo Alvarez. So for a change, he sat for a relatively innocuous game called ‘One Word Answers with Anthony Joshua,‘ where he had to answer a set of questions with a single word. When asked, ‘The face of boxing,” without batting an eyelid or second thoughts, ‘AJ’ replied, “Canelo.”

As to other queries, he responded, “Home” when prompted with ‘Watford” and repeated the answer upon hearing, “Finchley.” Against “Deontay Wilder,” he said, “Victory.” For his promoters, “Matchroom,” he replied, “Great people.” If the “Heavyweight Division” was “Potential” to him, then “Frazer Clarke” was the “Next Star,” as well as a “Future Champion.”

Until recently, Canelo Alvarez was with Eddie Hearn‘s Matchroom Boxing. Incidentally, it promotes Joshua as well. However, he will face another undisputed champion, Jermell Charlo, on September 30 under the PBC banner. The year’s groundwork has been similar for ‘AJ’ and the Mexican champion. Both are done with their first bouts. While Alvarez successfully defended his titles against John Ryder, Joshua fought off Jermaine Franklin.

Read More: Anthony Joshua Reacts to Deontay Wilder’s Brutal Knockout of Robert Helenius

Do you agree with Anthony Joshua’s response about Canelo Alvarez? Please share your thoughts and views with us in the comments below.

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