Anthony Joshua featured on the first episode of the new season of famous British journalist Louis Theroux’s show, ‘Louis Theroux Interviews’, which was broadcasted on the BBC on November 7th. During the mini-documentary which was set before and after Joshua’s fight with Jermaine Franklin on April 1st this year, Theroux mentioned one of the incidents that occurred following Joshua’s second loss to Oleksandr Usyk when he threw out the world titles that belonged to Usyk and he once possessed.

The act was heavily criticized as a travesty by the public along with Anthony Joshua’s behavior shortly after his August 20nd defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in 2022 . In his sit-down interview with Louis Theroux, Joshua finally admitted to the emotions that overwhelmed him that led to his actions.

“It was like that, they don’t even mean anything anyway,” Joshua said. “Yeah, what? I ain’t got them, so cause I ain’t got them, they don’t mean anything now. That was ego and pride coming out.

“Like, I brought this heavyweight division back. That was in me, right or wrong. So I threw them because that’s what I felt like. And yeah, I grabbed the mic, I addressed the crowd.

“Could I have done it better? Of course I could have. But I’ve just finished a 12-round fight and I felt frustrated, annoyed. I knew I was out of the title race, and then the questions started, What is he like, where is his head at?

“All this, like, ‘can he be a 3-time champion of the world?’. People now create this narrative and put pressure on me. It’s like too much. Gone are the days when it was for the fun. When you are just doing it for the passion, you’re a prospect.“

Anthony Joshua has had a notable career as a British heavyweight, having become a two-time champion, conquered multiple world titles and fought decent to good opponents that have helped him make a name, and a lot of money, in boxing.

While he spoke his mind surrounding the expectations surrounding him, his own performances have contributed to the bar he set, as well as the keen and efficient promotion of his promoter, Eddie Hearn. Tipped to become a world champion following his stint as an amateur where he won gold at the 2012 London Olympics, Joshua has thus far met the expectations bestowed on him, but has faced an onslaught of criticism following his first career loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019; a loss which he later revenged in the same year.

His post-match antics following his second loss to Oleksandr Usyk on August 20th in 2022 has spurred doubts as to his ability to become a world champion once more and be considered the best heavyweight in the world.

Though only time will tell whether Joshua will reclaim his spot, the pressure and expectations will undoubtedly surround him for as long as he continues boxing, but Anthony Joshua himself seems to be content by focusing on the expectations he set on himself, rather than what others impose on him.

“You put so much pressure on yourself to come and be this big star and be perfect. I’m telling you, they’ll pull you down, and the higher you are, the bigger the drop,” Joshua later told Theroux.

“So that’s why I try to not put too much pressure on myself, because that big status, I feel it drives you away from some of your core values.“