Anthony Joshua believes some of his friends in boxing were “ready to stab me in the back” after his knockout defeat against Andy Ruiz Jr last year.
Ruiz shocked the world after stepping in a last-minute replacement to face Joshua in June 2019, climbing off the canvas to drop the unified heavyweight champion four times before stopping him in round seven.
The rematch proved a one-sided affair in the Brit’s favour, nevertheless, with a newly-devised box-and-move strategy allowing him to reclaim his titles in Saudi Arabia six months later.
And while Joshua was delighted with his performance in the Middle East, the 30-year-old claims he had friends who were prepared to backstab him after his first professional defeat. “I had my own issues
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