Tony Bellew thinks there is one man who stands head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to Britain’s most notable boxing star.
There has always been a healthy selection of world champion boxers from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland up and down the divisions.
In the last 15 years, British boxing has been as popular as ever with as many as 13 champions at one point back in 2016. Many of those have retired or been dethroned and now it is new school stars like Lewis Crocker and Nick Ball who currently hold belts, while the likes of Daniel Dubois, Moses Itauma and new WBO mandatory challenger Fabio Wardley are all hopefuls in the heavyweight division.
However, speaking to the Football Blog, former cruiserweight world champion Bellew suggested that his old pal Anthony Joshua is still the most prominent face of all in British Boxing.
“It is still AJ, without a shadow of a doubt, who’s a bigger face? Who’s a more popular name in Britain? No one. I just don’t even think anyone comes close, it’s Fury or Joshua. But I just think AJ, Olympic gold medalist, crossover star, huge draw, huge name. The face of so many brands. I mean, I go out of my house and I see his face everywhere, face of Hugo Boss, face of Under Armour, there’s just so many different things and fair play to him. I just want to see him back in the ring.”
Despite Bellew’s praises, Joshua has not fought since he was knocked out back in September 2024, with many fans hopeful that he and the currently retired Tyson Fury can still get it on for what would be a huge showdown before they both walk away from the sport for good.
The latest update is that he is expected to return this year in a tune-up fight before a big event in 2026. He has also been offered the chance to face Jake Paul on short notice.