Anthony Joshua tends to let his gloves to the talking for him, just like any other heavyweight champion would. However, fans often prefer to see some animosity in the ring.

On April 29th, 2017, AJ stomped onto the canvas to bring the two-time world champion down in the 11th round. In front of an audience of 90,000 at Wembley and millions across the globe, AJ proved his worth as a deserving champion.

Fans regard AJ’s sensational victory against Wladimir Klitschko as one of the best fights in boxing history and rightly so. “The biggest heavyweight fight since Lennox Lewis knocked out Mike Tyson” as ESPN describes it.

The way Joshua planted a lethal uppercut on Klitschko’s chin before wrapping it up for good, can send shivers down the spines of the hardest of fans.

Despite the drama that surrounded that fight, neither fighter resorted to trash talk or deceitful tactics to throw the other off his game. Throughout the media obligations that both fighters participated in, the feeling of sportsmanship and mutual respect was rather evident.

However, AJ opened up about his attempts to incite his opponent during the fight. “I will whoop your a*** in the next round,” said the champion before sending the Ukrainian boxer to the canvas.

AJ, while talking to the media, went on to reveal that he was waiting for the perfect moment to strike and end the fight. “My coaches said I needed to win the next round (at the end of the tenth). But I told them I just took that round off. I needed a rest.”

An Unusual Attempt From Anthony Joshua

Despite the trash talk from the usually reserved and courteous AJ, both fighters maintained a sense of class and decorum throughout the event. Including the pre and post-fight obligations. 

Considering AJ’s history, it was rather out of character for the Watford man to try and goad his opponent. A welcome change nonetheless. However, one must accept that AJ’s taunts fell on deaf ears, as Klitschko remained typically disciplined throughout the fight. 

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“It was a good fight. I wish I had been the winner of tonight’s contest. AJ did a good job. He was trying. He was focused. And even when he went down he got up and came back. Maybe I could have done more after he was knocked down.” said Klitschko referring to the 6th round when he dropped AJ. 

Some may argue that this conservative attitude may have cost him the fight, as he did not pounce at AJ or apply the right amount of pressure on him. 

What do you think?