Anthony Joshua: ‘I can’t rest on this. It’s not time to sit back’

ANTHONY JOSHUA says โ€œit is not time to sit backโ€ as he prepares for the next phase of his boxing career.

Joshuaโ€™s unanimous points victory over New Zealander Joseph Parker in Cardiff on Saturday gave him another world title and a 21st victory of his career.

Undefeated American Deontay Wilder โ€“ the divisionโ€™s other champion โ€“ looks set to feature sooner rather than later on British star Joshuaโ€™s fight schedule.

And although there is work to be done in terms of securing a fight that could see Joshua add the WBC belt to his WBA, WBO and IBF honours, he is ready for Wilderโ€™s threat.

โ€œThere is no issue with fighting anyone,โ€ Joshua said.

โ€œIf you look at my 21 fights, there hasnโ€™t been an issue of fighting anyone.

โ€œI am not just going to give him (Wilder) everything he wants to get him here. He has to do a little bit of work and sacrifice a bit as well.โ€

Saturdayโ€™s win was the first time Joshua had been taken the distance in his professional career, but he never looked under serious threat.

โ€œI canโ€™t rest on this,โ€ he added. โ€œIt is not time to sit back.

โ€œBoxing and sport doesnโ€™t give athletes a chance to make a mistake. It has to be perfection and it has to look great.

โ€œI am a work in progress. I do like to be known as a big puncher, but at the same time, I want to be known as someone who can box. I am trying to work on my all-round game.โ€

Wilder stirred up some controversy this weekend by suggesting he wants to kill somebody in the ring.

And Joshuaโ€™s promoter Eddie Hearn said: โ€œHe (Wilder) has completely lost his head, and he is prepared to say or do anything to make the fight, other than actually try and make the fight.โ€

Hearnโ€™s father Barry, chairman and founder of Joshuaโ€™s promoters Matchroom, told BBC Radio 5 Liveโ€™s Sportsweek programme: โ€œPerhaps education could have come a little earlier for him.

โ€œIt was a horrible thing to say and something I am sure he regrets, but in the heat of the moment he is just trying to be famous.

โ€œThe only way to do that would be in the ring against Anthony Joshua, and he should keep those comments to himself.

โ€œAnthony Joshua wants all the belts โ€“ that is the big card Deontay Wilder has got to play (but) commercially, Joshua is far bigger than Deontay Wilder.

โ€œI think Wilder would come over here (United Kingdom) because in the world we live in, in boxing, the couple of million dollars Wilder is getting for a fight is pretty small fry in comparison to the rewards that await him for a Joshua fight. Travelling is not usually a problem if the money is right.

โ€œBut I still think in the long term, if Anthony sits down and thinks it through, he may come to the decision that to be a truly global sports star he needs to go to America โ€“ not just for the money โ€“ but, in terms of the brand value of AJ, fighting in America is going to be on his horizon.โ€

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