Anthony Joshua believes his comments suggesting there is an agenda against him at talkSPORT have been misconstrued.
‘AJ’ fumed that his name was being ‘attacked’ by talkSPORT and suggested that Tyson Fury got preferential treatment in an interview with Spencer Oliver.
Last month, Joshua said: “It is what it is. But let’s be clear on what it is as well – there is a let’s call it an attack on my name, especially on this talkSPORT radio station. There is definitely an attack on my name.”
Now Joshua has spoken again with Oliver and sought to clarify what he truly meant, insisting he has no grudges with anyone at talkSPORT and that he is keen to open a dialogue with broadcasters.
The heavyweight boxer said: “With me, I am confrontational but I am not confrontational. I didn’t say to you guys ‘this is who this person is’ or ‘this is who this person isn’t’ and talkSPORT do this and this.
“I just asked you, and I wanted your opinion, and that is what it felt like. It is good to have a conversation about situations.
“So I felt a certain way and I wanted to ask you, do you feel that way? Do you think there is an agenda?
“I ain’t got my back up against the wall but I feel it is nice to have open conversations so we can air our laundry and move forward.
“Look, we are talking now, having a good laugh, but I don’t hold grudges against anyone at talkSPORT.
“I am open to criticism. I am not someone who wants to hear nothing but good stuff. I am happy to hear the bad stuff.
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“But what I like about it is having an open conversation about it. Sometimes it feels the mark is put in the sand and its judgement day.
“Let me have a chance to explain myself and give my point of view where sometimes it is like ‘that’s who he is and that’s what it is’.
“Everyone should have the chance to explain themselves and that is where I was coming from. Sometimes it feels like statements against my name rather than conversations like this.”
Joshua was set to fight Dillian Whyte on Saturday night at the O2 Arena but it emerged just a week before fight night that the Bodysnatcher failed a voluntary drugs test.
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It left Matchroom chief Eddie Hearn scrambling for a replacement before Helenius was given the call.
The Finnish fighter has fought recently, beating Mika Mielonen in his homeland last Saturday.
Previous to that, the two-metre monster last fought against Deontay Wilder, who delivered a devastating knockout in the first round in October 2022.
Nevertheless, AJ has revealed a small part of his plan ahead of the weekend, which has had to drastically change.
Joshua added: “I just had to flip the coin and not get too involved emotionally. I have to envision what I want to do in my mind.
“I’ve watched him, done our film study but it is not cemented in my mind yet. That is going to take me a couple of days before I really start understanding his patterns.
“At the end of the day, I know what I have got to do. I am like a computer, I switch on. It is a fight so I just have to do my job.”
Later in the interview he raised both of his fists, adding: “Susie and Lucy are going to let their hands go!”
