07 November 2023 , 15:33
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Louis Theroux was caught up in a tense moment with Anthony Joshua as he silenced him in an awkward interview.
In an upcoming BBC documentary, 53-year-old journalist Louis interviewed the heavyweight boxer but it seems it wasn't all smooth sailing. The pair sat down for a tell all interview, which is set to air on Tuesday evening, with Louis asking the former heavyweight champion some awkward questions.
Louis began to ask Anthony about losing to Oleksandr Usyk and when he threw the heavyweight belts out of the ring before going into a rant on the microphone. However, it seems the boxer wasn't ready to address the situation yet as it appeared to touch a nerve.
A sneak peek of the programme shows Anthony shutting Louis down as he accuses him of interrupting. He said: "That was an ego and pride thing coming out. I brought this heavyweight division back – that was in me. Right or wrong, probably wrong."
Louis and Anthony sit down together (BBC/Mindhouse Productions/Ryan McNamara)Louis didn't seem satisfied with the answer as he said: "Probably wrong, probably wrong I think. I don’t think anyone says it was the right thing to do." The boxer looked noticeably annoyed as he replied: "You asked me a question and I’m answering it."
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Carrying on with the conversation, Louis went on to revisit Anthony's stunt with his belts. He said: "You took the belts and dropped them over the side." Playing down the situation, Anthony answered: "It was like that these don’t even mean anything anyway. I’ve thrown them because that’s what I’ve felt like and grabbed the mic, I addressed the crowd. Could I have done it better? Of course I could have. I felt frustrated, annoyed. I knew I was out of the title race and then the questions started, 'What is he like? Where is his head at?'"
He added: "All this 'can he be three-time champion of the world?' People create this narrative and put pressure on me. It’s too much. Gone are the days it was for the fun, when you’re just doing it for the passion, you’re a prospect." After filming the documentary, Louis said that when you dug beneath the surface of boxer AJ, who expresses himself with "self-help inklings", you found the "emotionally naked" person beneath.
He said: "I think there is a lot of vulnerability and a certain amount of pain. It just revolves around dialling that back and scraping away to find the more human qualities." He said he had to work hard on his research ahead of the interview because he wanted to appear knowledgeable. Louis added: "I was conscious of wanting to bring my A game. The boxing world is a bit of a village and like a lot of villages, they are slightly suspicious about outsiders."
Louis Theroux Interviews airs on BBC2 on Tuesday 7 November at 9pm.