Anthony Joshua clocked a blistering 11.53s 100m during an episode of Superstars shortly after winning his gold medal at the London Olympics. The Watford Powerhouse finished ahead of British high-jumper Robbie Grabarz and distance running legend Mo Farah despite outweighing the pair by over 25kgs.
As a youngster, Joshua was a tremendous athlete in multiple sports. Before taking up boxing at the age of 18, he was an excellent football player and was one of the fastest sprinters in the county, running times of just over 10 seconds in the 100 metres.
If he hadn’t have made it as a pro in boxing, there is no doubt his raw athleticism would have helped him to excel in another sport. Weighing in on the topic in the comments section of the video showing ‘AJ’ running the 100m, fans claimed the Brit would have made an unstoppable rugby player.
One fan wrote: “Damn, AJ could’ve been an unstoppable rugby player.”
Before another, concurred the point: “He’s a very good athlete, he would be a great rugby player considering his build.”
“Man, he’s too talented! Heavyweights aren’t supposed to be able to run those times,” wrote another.
‘AJ’ now prepares to become a three-time world heavyweight champion on August 20 when he squares off with Usyk for a second time. The fight, which is being billed as ‘Rage on the Red Sea’ will be contested at the Jeddah Superdome in Saudi Arabia with more than just bragging rights on the line. A win for Joshua looks to set up an undisputed heavyweight title clash against WBC champion Tyson Fury.
Despite retiring in April, reports suggest ‘The Gypsy King’ is awaiting the result of the rematch before making his final decision. If Joshua regains his titles, then Fury will more than likely unretire to face his fellow countrymen but there is a level of uncertainty surrounding Fury’s next move if Usyk wins again.