Anthony Joshua revealed he feared he could be banned from driving just days before suffering a humiliating defeat to Daniel Dubois in their all-British IBF Heavyweight title clash at Wembley Stadium.
The ex-unified two-time champion was knocked down four times in front of 98,000 people on Saturday as the 34-year-old’s career took another damaging hit, figuratively and literally, in London.
But it could have been so much worse for the 2012 Olympic gold medalist if a court judge had ruled slightly differently and stripped him of his driving license just days prior to the clash, with the 6ft 6in boxer blaming his offense on training fatigue.
Joshua was ultimately fined $1561.10, a drop in the ocean of his estimated net worth of around $80 million dollars, but it’s suspected he may not have known about the outcome of the legal situation before his Wembley ring walk.
He claimed he sped on May 29 because he was tired after travelling to very remote locations in order to train for his clash with Dubois on September 22, after being served the
“I fully accept responsibility for my actions on May 29, 2024 and deeply regret my failure to adhere to the speed limits,” Joshua said in a letter to Hastings Court. “I understand the importance of road safety and am fully aware of the potential consequences of speeding, not only for myself but also for other road users.”
Joshua‘s letter continued: “I am a professional athlete, currently in the middle of a very intense training camp. My schedule has been extremely demanding, and I was traveling to or from a training session at the time and date of the offense.
“The physical and mental fatigue from my training may have clouded my judgment, leading to this lapse in concentration.”
What speed did Joshua do?
PC Benjamin Dean of Sussex Police pulled his Range Rover over shortly after 21:00 and later told Hastings Magistrates Court it was not the first time the Brit had been caught and punished for speeding.
The ex-champion was clocked at going 44mph through a 30mph limited zone by Sussex Police in Lewes on the A26, approximately 58 miles away from London’s centre and around 83 miles away from Wembley Stadium.
“From conducting checks on the driving licence of Joshua,” Dean said. “I could see that they had three penalty points on their licence from a previous speeding offence.”