Anthony Joshua given hero’s welcome on boxing trip to Ghana as Brit shows off his motorbike skills
ANTHONY JOSHUA got a hero’s welcome – and a super-hero entrance – on a boxing trip to Ghana.
Watford’s two-time heavyweight world champ is on an R&R world tour following September’s knockout loss to Daniel Dubois and elbow surgery.
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The 35-year-old has enjoyed luxury trips to Oman, Dubai and Saudi Arabia.
But he visited the legendary African boxing hotbed of Bukom for an outdoor show on Friday night, and thrilled the nation with his motorbike skills.
When the London 2012 icon landed at Kotoka airport in the country’s Accra capital, he was mobbed by fans, flags and flowers.
A traditional drum band and dancers greeted his arrival, before a local lady grabbed him for a huge hug around the waist and a little girl was thrust into his arms and held above his giant shoulder.
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A young man then rode a scrambler motorbike into AJ’s path and handed it over to the 18st Adonis.
The two-wheeled convoy held up traffic for their hero, with some of the daredevil chaperones doing death-defying wheelies along the roads.
The proud British-Nigerian, posed for photos with local police and military men, charged with guarding him on his stay.
Later in the evening, AJ – on his first trip to the country – wore a Ghana scarf with the word ‘Akwaaba’ stitched in, meaning ‘welcome’.
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And once inside the Bukom boxing arena, he mixed and bumped fists with as many fans as he could, even dancing and singing songs.
Joshua also met and posed for photos with Ghana legend and former two-weight world champ Azumah Nelson while linking up with Amir Khan.
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After American Andrew Tabiti won the headline bout, stopping Ghana’s Jacob Dickinson in the fourth round, AJ exited on a motorbike once more, as fans chased him for photos.
Promoter Eddie Hearn has been tipping Joshua for a September return to the ring but that looks unlikely.
Tyson Fury is busy filming a Netflix series, so the overdue two-fight rivalry British fight fans have been waiting almost a decade to see is on ice.
Until WBA, WBC and WBO king Oleksandr Usyk and IBF boss Daniel Dubois decide an undisputed ruler on July 19 at Wembley, the blue-riband division is on hold while the challengers and contenders see how the belts fragment.
Despite the brutal KO loss to Dubois, Joshua remains a marketing and promotional dream.
And the four major sanctioning bodies would jump at the chance to have him fight for one of their straps.
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