Anthony Joshua not worried about Saudi Arabia backlash despite golf controversy

Joshua will attempt to win back his world titles from Oleksandr Usyk when the heavyweight rivals clash for a second time on August 20

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Anthony Joshua gets a free burger from McDonald’s

Anthony Joshua will not be fazed by any backlash over his decision to fight Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia.

Joshua will attempt to win back his heavyweight world titles when he takes on the Ukrainian champion in Jeddah on August 20. The oil-rich country will splash out £100million to stage the fight, almost double the £60m they spent to bring Joshua’s rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr to the desert in 2019.

But the Saudis have been accused of sportswashing after spending hundreds of millions of dollars to lure some of the best golfers in the world to their new LIV series. The launch of the new event follows the £300m takeover of Newcastle United by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia as well as lucrative deals with Formula One and WWE.

But Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn dismissed any comparison with his decision to take the heavyweight fight to the Middle East.

“He is not worried about any backlash because he has done it before. He will ultimately go, ‘Eddie over to you’,” he said. “I am not going to pass the buck but it is very different when the deal is a 50/50 split. How can we go back to Usyk and say, ‘Let’s do it at Spurs’ because they will just say it is a non-starter.

“[Joshua] will just say, ‘This is a good opportunity for me. I have been there before and had a great experience and made a lot of money but I am going to put my health on the line out there for viewers around the world’. Boxing is different. We all expect people to go in there and have a fight in a potentially damaging environment for them and I have to make sure that I make them as much money as possible and I am doing that. I have experienced it, I have enjoyed it and I will do it again.”

Joshua was understood to have preferred the sequel against Usyk to take place in London with Tottenham expressing interest in holding the second fight as they did the first last September. Wembley was also in the running but the bout will instead be held at the 40,000-seater Jeddah Super Dome.

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“It is done so you will finally get an official announcement next week, most likely early next week and it is all signed but you will get that official announcement.,” Hearn added. “The date will be announced next week and it will very likely be in Saudi Arabia.

“You have to just get in there and be you [Joshua against Usyk]. That is what he didn’t do in the first fight he wasn’t himself it isn’t difficult just be yourself in the fight and beat him. Yeah he can possibly win on points but I think he can knock him out.

“But that is what you have to do is cut him off and f****** hit him anywhere you want around the body. He doesn’t like it around the body, he said after the fight Usyk‘ that was a hard night’s work’ and he didn’t even hit him.”