Joshua is a home boy at heart

THE rude health of the British boxing scene has convinced heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua he does not have to go Stateside to increase his global profile.

Joshua is less than a week away from the biggest fight of his career against Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley in front of a post-war British record crowd of 90,000.

It will be the 19th bout the 27-year-old has entered since the former Olympic gold medallist turned professional and every one has been staged on British soil.

He has become a world champion far away from the sport’s epicentre of Las Vegas and his forthcoming fight will be broadcast on the two major American networks HBO and Showtime, which has only previously happened on two occasions when Lennox Lewis fought Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather faced Manny Pacquiao.

Joshua believes the status quo of boxers needing to head to America to earn their stripes is no longer the case and that his reputation can be enhanced in his own backyard.

“Vegas used to be on my tick list, but it’s not any more – it’s good here,” Joshua said.

“I think it’s more of a point that Britain’s always overlooked. It’s like you have to go to America to get respected – no, not any more.

“Come here. Come and fight us.

“I don’t think it’s important to go to America to make it bigger than what it is already.”