• London Olympics 2012

Olympic gold means more than pro title - Joshua

ESPN staff
December 4, 2011
Anthony Joshua won silver at the World Championships © PA Photos
Enlarge

British super-heavyweight Anthony Joshua insists claiming Olympic gold means more than winning a world championship as a professional.

There are big hopes for Joshua, 22, after he claimed silver at the World Championships during October, beating reigning Olympic champion Roberto Cammarelle on his way to the final.

And the Londoner is not letting himself get weighed down by the hometown pressure as the Games looms on the horizon. "It's the Olympics that makes my journey so much more special," Joshua told ESPN. "I'm made for it I think. I'm not overwhelmed by it: sometimes I think this what I was supposed to do. I'm not far off gold, I'm heading in that direction.

"If you win an Olympic gold, you're never a former Olympic gold winner. As a pro, once you lose a title you're a former heavyweight champion. You're always an Olympian, you can't take that way. You can't do more than win gold."

Asked if Olympic gold is the pinnacle, he said: "Yeah, yeah."

Joshua has been tipped to turn professional after the Games, but he has reservations over the state of the heavyweight division and, as such, is in no hurry to make a decision.

"I'm not looking to rush anything," he said. "When I first got into boxing, I thought 'oh yeah, heavyweight champion of the world'. But now I see that being pro is a business, there's not so many good people in the pro world. If it's the best thing for me at the time, we'll do it. If it's not, it's not."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Close

ABOUT COOKIES

To help make this website better, to improve and personalize your experience and for advertising purposes, are you happy to accept cookies and other technologies.

More Info Here Cookie Choices