{"id":778516,"date":"2026-07-03T22:10:19","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T22:10:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/778516\/"},"modified":"2026-07-03T22:10:19","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T22:10:19","slug":"anthony-joshua-names-the-first-man-to-ever-knock-him-down-as-his-favourite-opponent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/778516\/","title":{"rendered":"Anthony Joshua names the first man to ever knock him down as his favourite opponent"},"content":{"rendered":"

Anthony Joshua<\/a> has named his favourite ever opponent ahead of facing domestic rival Tyson Fury<\/a> later this year.<\/p>\n

Their long-awaited showdown is set to be staged in November, yet there has still been no announcement regarding a specific date, location and promoter.<\/p>\n

Perhaps more importantly, Joshua and Fury must also come through their respective warm-up fights against Kristian Prenga and Mariusz Wach, which will take place at the end of this month in Saudi Arabia and Thailand.<\/p>\n

Both are heavily favoured to emerge victorious on that particular weekend, yet there is always the possibility of an injury or upset.<\/p>\n

It is more likely, however, that the two British heavyweights will eventually lock horns, albeit at a time when they are long past their primes.<\/p>\n

Both were considered close to their best when they secured respective victories over Wladimir Klitschko, who \u2018AJ\u2019 defeated with an 11th-round finish<\/a> in 2017.<\/p>\n

This came after Fury dethroned the long-reigning champion<\/a> in 2015, yet Joshua\u2019s triumph was nonetheless considered an impressive result at the time.<\/p>\n

And with no shortage of respect between the Brit and Ukrainian, it is hardly surprising that Joshua has named Klitschko as his favourite ever opponent.<\/p>\n

Speaking with DAZN<\/a>, the 36-year-old immediately said \u201cWladimir\u201d when asked the question, perhaps reflecting on their thrilling encounter at Wembley Stadium.<\/p>\n

Both heavyweights had suffered heavy knockdowns, with \u2018AJ\u2019 being sent to the canvas for the first time in his career in the sixth round<\/a>, but it was Joshua who ultimately floored his older opponent on two more occasions in round 11.<\/p>\n

Having already claimed the IBF belt, the then-unbeaten champion added the vacant WBA strap to his collection and reigned as the unified king until 2019, when he suffered a major upset defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr.<\/p>\n