In his recent Metro opinion column, Tony Bellew touches on a number things currently relevant in boxing. His stablemate Anthony Joshua has been involved in some nasty headlines lately with due to his behaviour on social media. Bellew is wondering why people were so shocked to see Joshua acting that way.
“Anthony has always been Anthony, I just can’t understand why everyone gave him so much grief for swearing on Twitter. He swore, so what? I just don’t get it. He’s a young man and what I find disturbing is people trying to drag him down, hurting his profile,” wrote Bellew.
He also writes that Joshua’s tweet to Fury wasn’t actually made up trash talk.
& @Tyson_Fury get fit you fat fuck
— Anthony Joshua (@anthonyjoshua) November 9, 2017
“He’s swore before in interviews. He’s just had enough of being called names and labelled a runner. I mean, what he said about Tyson Fury, ‘get fit you fat f***’, he’s not telling lies is he?”
Bellew also touched on the subject of Joshua being called a steroid user. Fighters like Tyson Fury and most recently Deontay Wilder have claimed that Joshua is ‘juicing’ but Bellew is not having it for one second.
“It was disgusting that Wilder came out and insinuated Joshua is on steroids. He called him A ‘Juicing’ J. But, no one has picked up that. Wilder should be made to pay heavily for that.”
Bellew believes Joshua is ‘the most tested boxer in the world’ and it would be extremely difficult for Joshua to get away with using performance enhancing substances.
“Joshua has never failed a drug test in his life and he’s probably the most tested boxer in the world. Every time I speak to him, he’s getting tested. It brings the sport into disrepute when you label a fighter a cheat when he’s not,” commented Bellew.
The boxing world wants to see Joshua fight Wilder, Fury and Joseph Parker in 2018 but ‘AJ’ has said it’s unlikely that he will face all three within the same year. Bellew agrees it’s a tough ask.
“And another thing, people need to stop saying Joshua could fight Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder and Joseph Parker in one year. That’s an unrealistic number of big fights for 12 months and Joshua knows that. That’s why he came out and said he wouldn’t be fighting all three of them in 2018. Joshua is the best athlete in world boxing and I suppose if anyone could do it, it’s him, but there’s no need for it. I know Anthony and I know him well, and he just wants to face everyone. But, he doesn’t have to do it all in 2018. He always steps up to plate, always delivers and I can’t see that changing.”
‘The Bomber’ did not forget about the much talked fight negotiations between Team Parker and Matchroom. Bellew thinks Parker’s demands are ‘absolutely ridiculous among’ other things.
“Parker is dreaming if he thinks he can take 40 per cent of an Anthony Joshua fight at Wembley. That’s absolutely ridiculous. A fight with Joshua is probably five times more than Parker has ever earned. He’s not entitled to that. The best fight on his record is Carlos Takam and that was a narrow victory. Joshua won every single round against Takam in Cardiff. Parker’s team are dining out on this WBO title and they should be very, very careful what they wish for. There’s several heavyweights out there that can beat Parker,” he wrote.
.@anthonyfjoshua so what's happening? Fight a voluntary or pay me respectable 40% as fellow champion and unify? 👊🏼#NeverBeenDropped@EddieHearn @D_Higgins_Duco
— Joseph Parker (@joeboxerparker) November 17, 2017
Bellew thinks he could give the Kiwi a run for his money.
“I believe 100 per cent I would beat Joseph Parker. And I’m not talking about running from him and outboxing him like Hughie Fury did in Manchester. Fury showed that Parker can easily be outboxed and heat clean, but he couldn’t put it all together against Parker. If Parker doesn’t walk forward all night, there’s no fight there,” added Bellew.
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