What is up with Anthony Joshua? His bizarre shadowboxing show on GMB is the latest in a list of strange incidents after storming into a student flat, his emotional breakdown in the ring and unusual Instagram workouts
- Anthony Joshua’s bizarre appearance on GMB was just the latest in a long line
- British boxer made headlines after storming into a Loughborough student flat
- He also broke down emotionally after losing against Oleksandr Usyk in August
Anthony Joshua has raised eyebrows with some odd behaviour as he shadowboxed on British TV show Good Morning Britain on Wednesday – and it’s not the first time.
The British boxer, one of the biggest stars in the sport, has been involved in several unusual incidents over the course of his career, with rival Oleksandr Usyk admitting in 2021 he studied Joshua’s ‘strange behaviour’ before they fought.
He stormed into a student flat in Loughborough to confront some youngsters who heckled him about supposedly avoiding a fight with Tyson Fury.
Joshua, 33, also suffered emotional breakdowns in and out of the ring after losing against Ukrainian Usyk in August 2022, embarking on a bizarre microphone monologue after his defeat was confirmed.
Below, MailOnline looks at the former world heavyweight champion’s string of baffling incidents.
His shadowboxing on GMB
Joshua has infamously given some odd answers in interviews in his time, but on Wednesday it was his actions which stunned presenter Susanna Reid into silence.
Joshua had been asked about the possibility of a fight with compatriot Fury by Reid’s co-host Martin Lewis, should he overcome Jermaine Franklin on Saturday.
Reid started saying a potential showdown with Fury was the fight ‘everybody wants to see’, but was briefly stopped in her tracks when Joshua bizarrely began throwing a series of boxing combinations and smiling.
His antics led to Lewis joking: ‘I hope they’re not aimed at me’.
Joshua had responded to the initial question by claiming it would be an honour to box against Fury in the future, should the opportunity arise to fight the world champion.
Anthony Joshua began shadowboxing midway through an interview on Good Morning Britain
The heavyweight star appeared on the programme to promote his fight with Jermaine Franklin
Joshua’s antics stunned Susanna Reid (right), forcing her to briefly stopp asking a question
Storming into student halls
Perhaps more shocking was Joshua storming into a Loughborough University flat in May last year to threaten college-age students.
The drunken group heckled him from their apartment window, close to the University where he trains, insisting he was avoiding a bout against ‘Gypsy King’ Fury, among other ‘profanity and abusive language’.
The 6ft 6ins star then turned and headed towards the flat and was granted access to the halls when he pressed the external buzzer. After gaining entry, the boxer then confronted the uncomfortable students.
Footage shows Joshua, wearing a black tracksuit, standing over the one student and saying: ‘Remember you’re running your mouth because when I start cracking your glass jaws, none of you will like it.
‘Watch your mouths because you don’t know who you’re talking to sometimes.’
Joshua argued with drunken students close to Loughborough University, where he trains
The drunken students accused Joshua of ducking a fight with WBC champion Tyson Fury (Fury is pictured celebrating victory against Dillian Whyte at Wembley Stadium on April 23)
Bizarre monologue in the ring after Usyk loss
Defeat is hard to take for any boxer, particularly at the very top level, and the media pressure and scrutiny on ‘AJ’ before his rematch against Usyk was massive. But even considering all that, his impromptu speech in the ring was unusual.
After coming up short for a second time, he threw two of Usyk’s belts out of the ring and onto the floor and headed for his changing room before storming back to shake Usyk’s hand, picking up the microphone and going on an expletive-filled monologue.
In a bizarre rant discussing the fight, his career and the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, he said: ‘If you knew my story you would understand the passion. I ain’t no amateur boxer from five-years-old that was an elite prospect from youth. I was going to jail, I got bail and I started training my a*** off, I wanted to be able to fight.
‘I’m stealing this Usyk I’m sorry, but it’s because of the passion we put into this. This guy to beat me tonight, maybe I could have done better, but it shows the level of hard work I put in so please give him a round of applause as our heavyweight champion of the world.’
Though he didn’t say anything too offensive, he was accused of stealing Usyk’s moment and mocked online with comparisons to rapper Kanye West, who grabbed the microphone from Taylor Swift at the VMA Music Awards in 2009, insisting her prize for ‘Best Female Video’ was undeserved, saying Beyonce should have won.
AJ (left) threw some of Oleksandr Usyk’s title belts out of the ring in the aftermath of his defeat
Joshua then produced an expletive-filled rant following his loss, monologuing on varied topics
Joshua (right) labelled himself as a ‘new breed of heavyweight’ in a bizarre post-fight speech
Kicking off at a bystander backstage
The aftermath of the fight was equally emotional for Joshua. In his post-fight press conference, Joshua cracked and collapsed into tears.
He then gave what was seen as a brave and honest interview as he struggled to contain his emotions.
While his press conference demonstrated the burden of the sport’s intense spotlight and elicited sympathy from many fans, what he did next certainly didn’t.
The mood backstage, which had seemed jovial, suddenly turned sour when a bystander called out to Joshua to ‘keep it professional’, which prompted the former world champion to lose his temper and react explosively.
As security held him back and escorted him towards his dressing room, Joshua shouted: ‘Who are you talking to? Who the f*** are you talking to? Are you mad?’
Joshua cried during his post-fight press conference as the Brit was overcome by emotion
Axe chopping before Franklin fight
Some of his unusual training workouts before he fights Franklin at the O2 Arena on April 1 have caught the eye as well.
He posted a picture of himself straining while wearing a neck brace as someone on his team pulls on straps connected to the brace to stretch and test his neck muscles.
Perhaps even more bizarre was a sweaty workout video of Joshua chopping wood – with an axe.
Posted with the caption ‘Chop life’, he hacked at a tree, seemingly indiscriminately, several times in a white vest.
That came before he swung his axe powerfully into a log on the ground while shirtless, in the latest unconventional training method.
Joshua raised eyebrows on Instagram as he posted a picture of himself training in a ‘neck flex’ brace
The 33-year-old also added a video of himself chopping wood with an axe to his social media
A post shared by @anthonyjoshua
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