ANTHONY JOSHUA will never forgive the celeb fake fans who ditched him after his shock KO loss to Andy Ruiz Jr.
AJ was the darling of the chat-show circuit with stars from sport, TV, film and music desperate to be ringside and backstage for his run of 22 victories.
But he noticed too many A-listers dropped him quicker than Ruiz did in his disastrous US debut in June 2019.
The Watford fighter regained the WBA, IBF and WBO world heavyweight titles before Christmas that year — but left the hangers-on in his past.
Joshua, 31, said afterwards: “I always keep my childhood pals close, I have never been a celebrity brown-noser.
I always keep my childhood pals close, I have never been a celebrity brown-noser.
“When you have a No 1 record, a No 1 film or are a boxing champion and it all goes downhill, the celebrities are on to the next thing.
“But when you are with your people, who know you for you, nothing really changes. It was the people spectating from a distance who had a lot to say.
“Everyone is entitled to their opinion but I know who I am and as I get older I am getting stronger and more resilient — no one will ever be able to break me.”
Joshua, 33, is currently taking a break from the sport after consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk.
He could return to face the winner between Whyte, 34, and unbeaten Jermaine Franklin, 29, who fight next weekend.
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Meanwhile, Eddie Hearn says Joshua could fight Deontay Wilder for the WBC title if the belts become vacant.
Champions Tyson Fury and Usyk are lined up for a historic first ever four-belt heavyweight unification next year.
But the winner could then be faced with up to FOUR mandatory challengers, making it difficult to hang onto all of the marbles.
Wilder, 37, has been ordered into a WBC final eliminator with Andy Ruiz Jr, 33, meaning the winner is guaranteed a shot at Fury’s title.
And Joshua’s promoter Hearn is ready to get his man into position to then face the winner of the all-American showdown.
And by that time, the title could already be up for grabs if Fury, 34, or Usyk, 35, fail to keep up with their mandatories.
Hearn told Matchroom Boxing: “I think belts are going to become vacant over the next six-12 months. They always are when there’s an undisputed champion.
“So now it’s about positioning yourself, Dillian Whyte, AJ of course, into a shot at the world heavyweight title.
“AJ could be fighting the winner of Wilder – Ruiz for the WBC world heavyweight title, could be fighting Filip Hrgovic.
“Dillian Whyte could be fighting Joe Joyce for the WBO world title. There’s all kinds of eventualities.
“But the pressure will come from the mandatories, that’s just natural when there’s a unified and in this case potentially undisputed champion.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
