Anthony Joshua had to be ‘helped to his feet’ after he was knocked down by fellow countryman David Price in a sparring session back in 2011. The Liverpudlian – known for his fearsome one-punch knockout power – floored Joshua with a big right hand a year prior to the Watford powerhouse being crowned Olympic champion.
Recalling the events during a recent interview with iD Boxing, Price said: “I just caught him with a big right hand and down he went. He had to get helped up, type of thing, and ushered out the ring. And it was no big deal to me at the time, and there was no shame in that happening to you if I hit you, especially at that time before I had a couple of hand injuries and I never mentioned it until I was mentioned as a potential opponent in 2016 when he fought Eric Molina.
“I was in the IBF top ten so I could have been a voluntary defence for him, and I was calling for the fight and people were laughing at the thought of me fighting him and that’s when I thought I’d spill the beans and let people know that he isn’t indestructible.”
Speaking in 2018, Joshua admitted that the events were true but revealed that he had taken part in the sparring session after spending the night in a cell.
“Those circumstances don’t help when you’re sparring an elite fighter. I even had to get the train to Sheffield because they took my car – just to show my commitment. What I learnt was you cannot stop someone like me.
“They say you have two types of fighters; those that get dropped and stay down. But the ones you have to be wary of are the ones who keep on coming. You just cannot stop someone like that. I learnt it will take more than just power or durability to stop me.”