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The Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois boxing match is a mere day away, and 'AJ' took the time to speak to renowned combat sports journalist Ariel Helwani about his English faithful's perception of him. According to Joshua, he remains a divisive figure in England and is underestimated.
He feels that he is often doubted by those who should be supporting him without fail. This perception is in stark contrast to Joshua's image just a few years ago, when he was still undefeated and regarded as one of the most marketable combat sports athletes in the world.
Check out Anthony Joshua's take on the British fan's perception of him:
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The interview, which was hosted by Helwani under the DAZN Boxing banner, has since made the rounds on X/Twitter, where it was reposted by well-known boxing journalist Michael Benson. Naturally, the former unified heavyweight boxing champion's statements drew public interest.
Fans flocked to Benson's repost of the interview, offering their opinions on the matter. One fan pointed to Joshua's past with racially charged statements, which included referring to fellow boxer Eddie Chambers as a disgrace to the 'superior' black race.
"He has a bit of a chip on his shoulder, and may well have alienated some by his previous racist comments."
Others, though, expressed support for Joshua.
"Some of us been riding with AJ since 2015 vs Cornish seen AJ live beat Takam and Povetkin and will be there on Saturday"
Other fans echoed this.
"Real ones have always had his back and have known how good he is. Will show it again on Saturday."
Some touched on the British public's propensity for turning on its stars.
"The British public are great at building these stars up and tearing them down, happens to them all"
A collage of fan reactions can be seen below:
At this stage in his career, only winning will continue to earn Joshua the public's support.
Anthony Joshua's public image took a hit due to his losses
For much of his career, Anthony Joshua was regarded as an invincible power-puncher due to his 100% knockout rate and undefeated record before facing Joseph Parker, who he beat via unanimous decision. Even then, he was highly regarded as the unified heavyweight champion.
However, an upset loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. damaged his reputation in a major way. While he avenged the loss, the matter was not helped by future back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk, which saw the Englishman give a bizarre post-fight interview.
