Comments Thread For: Joshua Provides Status Update On Injury, Addresses Critics Following Recent Speech

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

Anthony Joshua was moved enough by those concerned over his health, to further clarify his current injury. There was also the side of the British heavyweight who was annoyed enough to address those who took issue with recent words and actions over this past weekend.
[Click Here To Read More]

[Cool Scant]

Joshua doesn’t realize that a lot of his fans are racist. It’s a shame because he actually sent a positive message.

[James Hunt]

He better stop with this *** hysteria, which is totally based on lies, or he'll be lucky to fill small arenas in the future.

[Straightener]

Joshua doesn’t realize that a lot of his fans are racist. It’s a shame because he actually sent a positive message.

He meant well

It just came across badly

[Ant1979]

He's no doubt lost a lot of white fans with that speech of his, fans who were happy to pay PPV 2-3 times a year, every year.

Let's get one thing straight, he's no Ali who didn't need to muffle his voice by reading a script from a piece of paper, badly. Most of what Ali said came direct from the heart and resonated with your heart as instinctively you knew it was right.

Compare this to Joshua saying 'we should hit them where it hurts, stop giving your money to white people's businesses.' This is wrong on so many levels.

Firstly, that comment's the very definition of racism. Imagine the flipside and subsequent uproar of what he's just said? Pro-actively creating that type of division is exactly what we're trying to extinguish.

Secondly the UK has been extremely kind to Joshua. From the judge who initially showed him leniency and all his coaches past and present, the Olympic team, to his promotional deals and his fanbase who've made him a household name and a millionaire many times over.

But what a slap in the face to those white fans. I'm a white business owner, living in the UK who has bought all AJ's fights and it's a fact that when it comes to boxing at least 80% of my favourite fighters are black both past and present.

For every Ricky Hatton and Prince Naz (remember I'm English) there's a Mohammed Ali, Mike Tyson, Roy Jones Jnr, Floyd Mayweather, Sugar Ray Leanord, Thomas Hearns, Frank Bruno, Nigel Benn.

That's just a tiny snippet of fighters who I've loved watching over the years and I could easily go on and on, it'll be the same split and probably the same for most real UK boxing fans.

When Joshua first broke on to the scene I thought he was a breath of fresh air. Exactly what the heavyweight division needed. Haye was always out injured (and you suspected that he never really loved the game) and Fury was going through the fight of his life just trying to get through each day alive.

Despite Joshua getting increasingly 'all guru' in his interviews I still like the lad and I hope it was just a case of him being badly advised. Because if white people decided to hit him where it hurts and no longer pay for PPV then he'll only have himself to blame.

Sorry for the rant but all the BS can get a bit much. I mean, what was he thinking?

[mabulkhair]

I am a huge advocate for athletes to use their platform to advocate. There is no room for racism and everyone deserves an equal shot at life.

[DougalDylan]

Let's get one thing straight, he's no Ali who didn't need to muffle his voice by reading a script from a piece of paper, badly. Most of what Ali said came direct from the heart and resonated with your heart as instinctively you knew it was right.

Ali was a racist who met with the KKK clan and believed the races should be kept apart and as for some of the racist things he did and said about his fellow black boxers, if a white man had said those gorilla comments etc.

I mean Ali was a great boxer but seriously you picked the wrong role model on that one ...

[BangEM]

He's no doubt lost a lot of white fans with that speech of his, fans who were happy to pay PPV 2-3 times a year, every year.

Let's get one thing straight, he's no Ali who didn't need to muffle his voice by reading a script from a piece of paper, badly. Most of what Ali said came direct from the heart and resonated with your heart as instinctively you knew it was right.

Compare this to Joshua saying 'we should hit them where it hurts, stop giving your money to white people's businesses.' This is wrong on so many levels.

Firstly, that comment's the very definition of racism. Imagine the flipside and subsequent uproar of what he's just said? Pro-actively creating that type of division is exactly what we're trying to extinguish.

Secondly the UK has been extremely kind to Joshua. From the judge who initially showed him leniency and all his coaches past and present, the Olympic team, to his promotional deals and his fanbase who've made him a household name and a millionaire many times over.

But what a slap in the face to those white fans. I'm a white business owner, living in the UK who has bought all AJ's fights and it's a fact that when it comes to boxing at least 80% of my favourite fighters are black both past and present.

For every Ricky Hatton and Prince Naz (remember I'm English) there's a Mohammed Ali, Mike Tyson, Roy Jones Jnr, Floyd Mayweather, Sugar Ray Leanord, Thomas Hearns, Frank Bruno, Nigel Benn.

That's just a tiny snippet of fighters who I've loved watching over the years and I could easily go on and on, it'll be the same split and probably the same for most real UK boxing fans.

When Joshua first broke on to the scene I thought he was a breath of fresh air. Exactly what the heavyweight division needed. Haye was always out injured (and you suspected that he never really loved the game) and Fury was going through the fight of his life just trying to get through each day alive.

Despite Joshua getting increasingly 'all guru' in his interviews I still like the lad and I hope it was just a case of him being badly advised. Because if white people decided to hit him where it hurts and no longer pay for PPV then he'll only have himself to blame.

Sorry for the rant but all the BS can get a bit much. I mean, what was he thinking?

LMAO. You're smarter than this unnecessary rant.

If you had taken time to listen to the whole speech and not jump off a cliff based on the tiny bit a section of the population twisted and blew out of proportion - you'd understand the context in which he said it.

Granted, he should've given more explanation and emphatically pointed out that he was only saying "boycott racist stores and support black businesses" if they don't change due how he's heavily scrutinised by a section of the population. Unless you're a closet racist - I honestly don't know why you'll have a problem with it.

I don't have a problem with his speech and it's understandable why he would say that to hurt those who're unrepentant racists. ***s mostly buy ***ish, go to ***ish schools, and have their own ***ish community. And no one has a problem with it. He didn't even call for that type of segregation. People need to calm their ti.ts with their insecurities and stop disturbing the guy.

Regardless, he has made his money and would make a lot more against Fury. So he has nothing to worry about. If people would stop buying his PPV, he needs to keep fighting in the middle east, retire early and ride off into the sunset. The guy has been targeted unfairly too many times and it's sickening.

[BangEM]

I am a huge advocate for athletes to use their platform to advocate. There is no room for racism and everyone deserves an equal shot at life.

But the problem is that he didn't say anything racist.

In context, this is what he said: "boycott racist stores and support black businesses if they don't change". Only unrepentant racists would've a problem with that. I don't have a problem with it.

[BangEM]

Ali was a racist who met with the KKK clan and believed the races should be kept apart and as for some of the racist things he did and said about his fellow black boxers, if a white man had said those gorilla comments etc.

I mean Ali was a great boxer but seriously you picked the wrong role model on that one ...

People always have amnesia about Ali and act like he was loved when he was active. And that wasn't the case. It's the same way they all like quoting MLK like the man wasn't demonised and hated when he was alive.