Anthony Joshua sends four-word message to Andre Ward after bold call-out
Anthony Joshua seems willing to take on retired boxing legend Andre Ward, as long as the price is right.
Ward, a former two-division champion, hung up his gloves in 2017, but it appears he is itching to get back into the ring. A potential showdown with Joshua is the only fight that could tempt the 41-year-old out of retirement. At the height of his career, the American was considered one of the world's top fighters.
He quickly became one of the top pound-for-pound stars, securing victories over big names like Carl Froch, Sergey Kovalev and Mikkel Kessler. After retiring in 2017, Ward left the sport having won gold in both the super-middleweight and light-heavyweight divisions.
Now, eight years after his retirement announcement, the former Olympic gold medallist has set his sights on Joshua. "There's one name that I brought up before that when you say that name I can see myself fighting him. Present day. Today. If the business was right and everything was right on that front, me and Anthony Joshua," he declared, reports All Out Fighting.
"That's a fight that I would take at Wembley Stadium. It's a dangerous fight for my legacy, it's a dangerous fight across the board. But that's a fight that would get me in the gym and get me in the mindset that I need to be in to go to war. It's Anthony Joshua. I know he's getting ready to fight Jake Paul, I ain't talking about that. I'm talking about a real fight."
Ward mainly fought at both 168lbs and 175lbs. As for Joshua, the British former two-time heavyweight world champion hasn't tipped the scales under 250lb since 2022. Despite the massive weight gap, it appears 'AJ' is keen on the concept, citing a well-known phrase from Mexican sensation Canelo Alvarez. "Pay Day Pay Day (Canelo voice)," Joshua remarked.
Joshua hasn't stepped into the ring since his defeat to Daniel Dubois last September. It appeared likely that the duo would clash again immediately, but 'AJ' required additional recovery time. Supporters will almost certainly witness the Brit's ring return this year, though nothing has been officially announced yet.
Whilst on a recent holiday to Cyprus, boxing promoter Yohan Zaoui was informed by Joshua that he would probably stage his comeback against Tony Yoka. "With my wife and children, I'm on vacation at a hotel in Limassol, by the sea, in southern Cyprus," Zaoui explained. "And who do I run into this morning at the pool? Joshua! He's also on vacation with his family, with his younger brother and his nieces and nephews. I chatted with him for a few minutes. He's humble and kind."
Regarding a potential clash between Joshua and Yoka, Zaoui disclosed: "He told me that his next opponent would certainly be French, Yoka. He told me that he had the option of facing the American YouTuber Jake Paul, but that 90 per cent of the time it would be Yoka. I asked him his prediction. He told me that there was no easy fight."
When is Anthony Joshua's next fight?
With Joshua currently recovering from elbow surgery, the British fighter is eager to get back in the ring before the end of the year. His promoter, Eddie Hearn, has lately disclosed that 'AJ' is now looking to move forward with his career after consistently chasing a fight with Fury, although he still harbours hopes of eventually squaring things with the 'Gypsy King' before calling time on his boxing days.
Discussing Joshua's prospects with Sky Sports, Hearn said: "Yeah, good, he had that operation recently... that elbow surgery, which went very well. You will see him return in October, November or December."
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