Anthony Joshua reveals the one boxer he genuinely can’t stand

Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has had plenty of heated exchanges and confrontations with rivals throughout his career, but only one opponent has ever inspired genuine animosity from the British star.

Joshua, 36, turned professional in 2013 after winning super-heavyweight gold at the London 2012 Olympics. He went on to hold the WBO, IBF and WBA world titles between 2018 and 2019, later reclaiming the belts in a memorable rematch victory over Andy Ruiz Jr at the end of 2019.

Standing at 6ft 6in and fighting out of an orthodox stance, Joshua retained his status at the top of the division until his reign was ended by Oleksandr Usyk in 2021, with the Ukrainian — now 38 — bringing AJ’s two-year spell as unified champion to a close.

In the aftermath of that setback, Joshua faced a series of high-profile opponents, including former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou and fellow Brit Daniel Dubois, as he looked to work his way back into world-title contention. His latest outing against the polarising Jake Paul passed without incident, with Joshua claiming a dominant sixth-round knockout victory.

After stopping Paul, a long-awaited showdown with Tyson Fury in 2026 has once again been floated. Yet despite those rivalries, none compare to the one fighter Joshua admits he truly dislikes — former adversary Dillian Whyte.
What Anthony Joshua Has Said About His ‘Most-Hated’ Rival
Speaking ahead of Whyte’s clash with Fury in 2022, Joshua did not hide his feelings about the man he has shared the ring with on two occasions.

“I’m backing Dillian [against Fury], even though I hate him — and I’d love to get another chance to smash him one day,” Joshua said.
The bad blood between the pair dates back to their amateur meeting in 2009, when Whyte emerged victorious on the judges’ scorecards. Their professional rematch in 2015, billed as Bad Intentions, swung firmly in Joshua’s favour, with the Watford-born heavyweight securing a seventh-round TKO.

The build-up to that contest was notoriously explosive, amplified by a tense Sky Sports face-off that became a defining moment of their rivalry.

“You got bashed up,” Whyte taunted Joshua, referencing the amateur defeat, before AJ cut in with a blunt response that summed up his view of his rival: “You talk too much.”
Whyte’s most recent outing ended in a brutal first-round knockout loss to rising star Moses Itauma in August — a result Joshua likely took great satisfaction in witnessing.