Anthony Joshua record: Height, weight, reach, career stats and more as AJ prepares for huge Francis Ngannou fight
08/03/2024 17:12
Anthony Joshua hopes 2024 is going to be the year he becomes a three-time world champion.
After back-to-back defeats against the mighty Oleksandr Usyk, AJ has won his last three fights and is now eyeing a world title shot.
Joshua saw off Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius to set up a bout with Swede heavyweight Otto Wallin.
However, he was too strong for his opponent and Wallin’s corner stopped the fight in the fifth round.
Deontay Wilder was supposed to be his next opponent, but he lost to Joseph Parker, leaving AJ to organise a huge showdown with Francis Ngannou.
The winner of that fight will take on either Tyson Fury or Usyk for the chance to become the undisputed heavyweight champion.
Anthony Joshua: Debut and fights so far
Following his Olympic Gold at the London 2012 games, the Watford-born star turned professional.
He made his debut at the O2 Arena against Emanuele Leo on October 5, 2013.
He easily dispatched his opponent in the first round and won a further 13 fights comfortably.
But Joshua’s career progressed to another level in 2015 when he came up against fellow London-based boxer Whyte.
The bout lasted seven rounds before AJ’s superior skill saw him emerge victorious via knockout.
Joshua then earned the IBF belt with a comfortable victory over Charles Martin and defended his title against Dominic Breazeale and Eric Molina.
Then came AJ’s best win as he added the WBA and IBO belts to his collection with an astonishing win over Klitschko.
Wins over Joseph Parker and Alexander Povetkin followed as he became the unified world champion before a shock defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr in New York saw Joshua lose his belts.
He won them back in the rematch against Ruiz and dispatched Kubrat Pulev to set up the first Usyk clash.
The Ukrainian moved up from cruiserweight but produced a boxing masterclass at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to win via unanimous decision and claim all the belts.
The rematch occurred in Saudi Arabia, and Joshua produced a much better display but still lost on a split decision and left the Middle East empty-handed.
His next fight saw him face Franklin, who lasted the full 12 rounds without really threatening Joshua, handing the Brit a unanimous decision victory.
He was then meant to face Whyte again, but his fellow Londoner failed a drugs test, and Helenius stepped in.
The Finnish boxer proved to be no match for Joshua, who knocked him out in round seven.
Wallin was meant to be the toughest opponent this new-look AJ has fought, but it was light work for the Brit.
He dominated from the start and made Wallin look like a poor fighter.
Anthony Joshua: Wins, losses and record
Of the 30 fights Joshua has participated in, he has won 27 with three defeats.
He has claimed 24 knockout victories, with five coming inside the first round.
Anthony Joshua: Weight, height and reach
Ahead of his last fight, Joshua weighed in at 251lbs (113.8kg).
This 1lbs more than his bout against Helenius.
The 34-year-old also stands at an imposing 6ft 6 (198cm) and has a reach of 82in (208cm).
Anthony Joshua: Next fight
Joshua will take on Ngannou on Friday, March 8.
The giant Cameroonian has only fought one professional boxing match against Fury, where he knocked the undefeated heavyweight down before losing via split decision.
The ten-round heavyweight fight will take place at the Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia.
AJ is rooting for Fury to beat Usyk so they can finally put on an all-British blockbuster for the fans.
And his promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed that the winner of Fury vs Usyk will take on the winner of Joshua vs Ngannou.
"His Excellency said the winner of this fight faces the winner of Fury-Usyk,” Hearn told the MMA Hour.
“That is a dream chance for us because we chased that for so long.
“AJ is going to beat Francis Ngannou, and then he's going to beat the winner of Fury-Usyk, and he's going to become the undisputed heavyweight world champion.”
