Pundit and Hall of Famer tells Anthony Joshua to retire

Pundit Carl Froch declared that his countryman Anthony Joshua should retire instead of begging for sympathy from the public.

This happened because of Anthony Joshua’s recent statement that the pressure the public put on him removed the fun he usually had about boxing.

Froch replied in a separate scene, saying, ‘With great power comes great responsibility. He was a world champion, and people are paying him their hard-earned money and making him very rich. Boxing is the entertainment business, and AJ is obligated to turn up and put on a performance.

‘Rafa Nadal does it every time he’s on centre court. Novak Djokovic performs every time under immense pressure, so don’t bitch and moan to me that the fans—who have made you a multimillionaire—are putting pressure on you. That’s part and parcel of being a professional heavyweight boxer. If you can’t stand the heat, get out the f****g kitchen. Stop bitching about it.’

It was not long ago that Joshua was talking with an interviewer when he revealed he was under heavy pressure. The interviewer, Louis Theroux, was talking with him for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) when they started talking about why Anthony Joshua had thrown the three belts he lost to Oleksandr Usyk out of the ring after being beaten.

‘Could I have done it better?’ Joshua had said. ‘Of course I could’ve, but I’d just finished a 12-round fight and I felt frustrated and annoyed; I knew I was out of the title race.

‘And then the questions started. “What is he like?” “Where’s his head at?” all this, “can he be three-time champion of the world?” People create this narrative and put pressure on me.

‘It’s too much. Gone are the days when it was fun, when you’re just doing it for the passion, you’re a prospect.’

Joshua had gone on to add, ‘Are we going to dissect everything I say and use it as a narrative to create a story? That’s why I keep myself to myself.’

Before fighting Robert Helenius in a heavyweight bout, Joshua complained of pressure. Following his victory, however, he announced, ‘I don’t feel pressure any more. Remember, I am not a heavyweight champion; I leave that to the other guys.

‘I am just a contender trying to make my way. Any time is a good time to fight. It could have been Wilder eight years ago or Wilder now. It don’t matter.

‘It is only a fight and boxing wins so roll on really. There is no worry to me when it is. I am just happy we can get the fight going and I think people appreciate that I am doing my best to keep heavyweight boxing on the map.

‘Yeah, we’re carrying heavyweight boxing. I have believed that for years I have played my part in bringing entertainment to heavyweight boxing.

‘That is why you are asking about the Wilder fight. I am not comparing what it could have been, I’m just happy that we’re getting this fight under way potentially soon because it does great for boxing I think.

‘We’ll look back in years to come and think, ‘look at that era, that guy fought everyone,’ and that’s what is important. Not protecting you zero. It is about fighting the best and giving your best.’

It could be that the boxer is only afraid of what would happen if he lost. Tyson Fury, the WBC heavyweight champion, is still weathering the heat from his less-than-satisfactory performance against boxing debutant Francis Ngannou. Joshua might be wondering what would happen if he lost his next bout.

Reports say Otto Wallin will face off with Anthony Joshua in December. That is expected to be Joshua’s last match for the year.

 

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