BELOW THE BELT
Anthony Joshua didn’t want photo with all four belts after Ruiz Jr win as he fears he’ll have to give one up
ANTHONY JOSHUA did not want to be snapped with four new stunners on his arm as he knows boxing romances don’t always last.
The Brit icon snatched back the WBA, IBF, WBO, and IBO belts from Andy Ruiz Jr last Saturday, six months after dropping them to the Mexican in one of boxing’s biggest upsets.
2
A perfect Ruiz performance, an underlying medical problem and a bit of complacency contributed to AJ dropping his straps for the back-half of the year but the rematch performance was ruthlessly efficient.
But, within minutes of the Saudi Arabia triumph, the WBO gave the 30-year-old 180 days to face their mandatory challenger Oleksandr Usyk and the IBF want Kubrat Pulev to get his shot in the Spring.
So the Watford ace knows he cannot get too comfortable with the quartet of trinkets as he plans a busy 2020 defending his crowns against all comers.
Josh told BBC Radio 2: “I just feel like I've got to do it again in three to four months.
“If I enjoy this too much, I feel like the belts are going to be in the air again and I've got to defend them, so I don't want to get too carried away and get too far ahead.
“After the fight my I was told I had to get a photo taken with all of the belts - and they are heavy.
“I said I wanted to take one just by myself but my team insisted as it’s a photo that goes all around the world. Next minute 'ping', the belts appear.”
If I enjoy this too much, I feel like the belts are going to be in the air again, so I don't want to get too carried away
Anthony Joshua
Joshua was in the gym on Sunday morning, enjoying a swim and vowing to get back to training in Sheffield and Finchley ABC.
While Ruiz all-too-briefly have short and tubby underdogs a hope of hitting dizzying heights, Josh is the perfect example of how hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard.
It’s a message the champ, who turned his life around from teenage criminal to Olympic champion in just a few years, wants to spread now he is back on his throne.
He said: “There's two types to kids, there's kids on the streets and there's kids that need a direction in life, let's say kids at home playing computer games.
“For the kids on the streets it's good, they want to be creative, get out and climb trees, ride motorbikes and have fun.
“But, I'll just say, ‘know that you're a representation of your family’, so when you're out on your own, roaming the streets and stuff, don't forget that you're going home to your family, your mother, your father, or auntie or uncle. You've got people who care for you.
2
Most Read in Boxing
“Don't forget before you make any crazy decisions, they say 'the devil makes work for idle thumbs' and you can get caught up in stuff. Just try and think before you act, don't act on impulse.
“For the kids at home looking for direction and stuff, use apps and YouTube. And just type in motivational videos for kids who need a bit of motivation.
“The world needs more strong people and leaders and stuff. Don't just be dull and on your computer all day.”
Anthony Joshua set to fight Kubrat Pulev next before facing Oleksandr Usyk, says Eddie Hearn
Topics