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BOXING

'I don’t think his heart is fully in the game anymore'- Undefeated British fighter thinks Joshua is past his best

Undefeated British boxer Joe Joyce has questioned Anthony Joshua’s boxing ability after stating that the former WBO champion is past his best and is only in the sport to make money at this point.

Anthony Joshua

Joyce referred to Joshua as a businessman because AJ knows that a boxer of his pedigree can still demand an attractive fight purse based on his previous accomplishments but believes that he is well past his best.

“His chin has gone, and I don’t think his heart is fully in the game anymore — he’s a businessman more interested in lecturing students,” Joyce said.

Joyce was scheduled to fight Oleksandr Usyk two years ago but was replaced by Joshua, but he still believes he is the best man to stop the Ukrainian.

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“I’m number one with the WBO, and when Usyk beats Joshua again, I’ll show you how a proper heavyweight in 10-pound gloves deals with a man who lost to a welterweight in the amateurs,'' Joyce said.

Although the criticisms might be a little harsh, Joyce does make a poignant point. Since his 2017 fight with Ukrainian juggernaut Vladimir Klitschko, Joshua has looked like a different fighter, one who is more vulnerable.

After going 20 professional fights unbeaten, AJ has lost two of his last five bouts. His invincible aura began to fade when he was rocked during his win against fellow heavyweight Carlos Takam in 2017, and it finally vanished when he lost to Andy Ruiz in 2019.

Upset by his loss to Oleksandr Usyk, Joshua has been sighted training and this writer doubts if the former WBO champion is only going to Jeddah for a paycheck.

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Even if he does lose the rematch to Usyk, the Ukrainian would know better than to underestimate his opponent, who will fight with the vim of a wounded animal after having his titles snatched from him at home in front of a packed Tottenham Hotspur stadium.

Usyk v Joshua 2 is scheduled to take place on August 20 at the Jeddah SuperDome in the Saudi Arabian capital Jeddah.

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