“I Was Pushed to the Edge” — Anthony Joshua breaks silence on year away from boxing ahead of Jake Paul fight as Fury showdown explodes
Anthony Joshua explains why he decided to take 12 months away from boxing following his knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois in September 2024; Joshua returned to the ring on Friday with a knockout win over Jake Paul in Miami, before calling out Tyson Fury once again
The two-time heavyweight world champion marked his return to the ring with a sixth-round knockout victory over YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Miami on Friday night.
Joshua immediately followed up the win by reiterating his desire to fight Tyson Fury in a long-awaited all-British showdown.
“I had a tough defeat in 2024 and I just want to pick up and move forward again,” said Joshua. “So yeah, I’m glad that I got back in the ring and I figured out that this is where I want to be.
READ MORE : Finally, After Reaching the Pinnacle: Terence “Bud” Crawford
“It was a real test for me to figure out if I still want to continue or not, and this was a good eye-opener that this is where I want to be, that I want to get back in the ring and go again.”
Joshua’s return was unorthodox, a bout between him and Paul emerging as one of the most controversial in the era of crossover clashes.
“I needed to do better. I needed to do better,” said Joshua after the fight. “Yeah, it’s a win, but it’s not a success. I think my coach expects more from me, and I expect more from myself.
“But what can we do? We can’t reverse the clocks. I have to move forward. I have to put that in the past now.
“After today, you may see a bit of social media trying to lap up all of the algorithm attention, but for me, it’s in the past. I can’t live off of that win. I’ve got a lot of improvement I need to do. So, yeah, I’m not happy.”
