Anthony Joshua record: Height, weight, reach, career stats and more as former world champion launches comeback bid
22/12/2023 11:32
Anthony Joshua hopes 2024 is going to be the year he becomes world champion again.
After back-to-back defeats against the mighty Oleksandr Usyk, AJ has won his last two fights and is eyeing a world title shot next year once he’s fought Otto Wallin this weekend.
Joshua has seen off Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius this year to set up this bout with Swede heavyweight Wallin.
Should he win, Deontay Wilder – who is fighting on the same card in Saudi Arabia – is expected to be next as AJ looks to launch a late-career comeback.
Joshua’s status in the boxing world has fallen in recent years, but he still beat Wladimir Klitschko in 2017 and has been a two-time heavyweight world champion.
But he has the talent to turn this around and rise up the rankings once again.
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.
Anthony Joshua: Wins, losses and record
Of the 29 fights Joshua has participated in, he has won 26 with three defeats.
He has claimed 23 knockout victories, with five coming inside the first round.
Anthony Joshua: Weight, height and reach
Ahead of his last fight, Joshua weighed in at 250lbs (113.4kg).
This was 5.4lbs less than his bout against Franklin.
The 34-year-old also stands at an imposing 6ft 6 (198cm) and has a reach of 82in (208cm).
Anthony Joshua: Next fight
Joshua is set to face Wallin on an incredible night of boxing in Saudi Arabia this weekend.
The bout is set to take place on Saturday, December 23 and it will be on the same card as Wilder’s fight against Joseph Parker.
Joshua has told talkSPORT that Wallin is banking on the wrong things heading into their fight.
When asked about the Swede describing him as ‘mentally weak’, Joshua told talkSPORT: “If that’s what he’s banking on.
“He should be banking on his skills, his skillset.
“He should be banking on the fact he’s worked hard, he trusts his skills and he thinks he’s good enough.
“He shouldn’t be banking on whether I’m mentally strong or not.
“That’s crazy to go into a fight and hope that the fighter you’re fighting isn’t mentally strong and that gives you an opportunity to beat them.
“What I’m banking on is my confidence, my strength, my durability, my chin, my heart, my fitness, my skills. It’s nothing to do with Otto.
“Everything I’m banking on is everything to do with me. That’s what’s giving me confidence.”
And should Joshua beat Wallin, Wilder is waiting.
AJ’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, revealed that he recently bumped into the American, and the duo discussed that fight.
He said: “We talked about the AJ fight, we made it clear from our side that we want that fight.
“There’s a lot of discussions ongoing, obviously, but we also said let’s not slip up in tough tests on December 23.”
So there is now a clear path for Joshua to become world champion once more as he looks to relaunch his career.
