Heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua branded 'sexist' after GQ interview resurfaces on Twitter

Reuters

Boxing heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is the line of fire thanks to an old interview with GQ in which his comments appear to be bordering on sexism. 

The interview from 2017 recently resurfaced on Twitter. In that, the British boxer, who beat the legendary Wladimir Klitschko last year to claim the IBF, WBA and IBO world heavyweight titles at Wembley, said he was stricter with his niece than his son JJ. 

That doesn't appear offensive at first but when he explains his reasons, things change for the worse for him.

"My view is you have to be a good woman, respectful, one day you will be someone's wife. You have to learn family morals... what it is to be a good woman," Joshua told GQ.  

As far as his son was concerned, he declared: "He's going to be a man's man. He'll want to spread his wings, be a Jack-the-lad, build his character." 

These comments from the 28-year-old have invited a fusillade of missiles on Twitter. 

Anthony Joshua doesn’t come across well in this GQ interview... https://t.co/StXSpOQlfH pic.twitter.com/uR0G6GwSWL — William Rose (@WillRose_) March 2, 2018

Anthony Joshua isn’t interview-smart is he? What he said in that GQ interview is laughable. But again, did you actually expect a boxer to not be sexist? — Tamara (@_Syriana_) March 3, 2018

Anthony Joshua isn’t interview-smart is he? What he said in that GQ interview is laughable. But again, did you actually expect a boxer to not be sexist? — Tamara (@_Syriana_) March 3, 2018

However, there were a few who didn't think much of Joshua's remarks. 

#AnthonyJoshua GQ interview - if he said he was raising his son to be respectful as one day he will be a husband, no one would care at all — Rick Markland (@Rickm1987) March 4, 2018

The boxer is yet to comment on this controversy.