Rematch: Anthony Joshua has been called out for a rematch by the man who famously became the first fighter to knock him out, Mihai Nistor.
Mihai Nistor – the only boxer to have stopped Anthony Joshua in the amateurs – has expressed his desire for a rematch with the British heavyweight.
The 34-year-old Romanian, a seasoned fighter – with 64 matches under his belt in major amateur competitions – previously faced against Joshua in the European Championships quarter-finals in Turkey back in 2011. Enjoying an impressive amateur record, Nistor turned professional in 2019.
Since turning pro, Nistor has maintained a perfect record with eight wins – all by knock-out – although he has not been seen in action for over a year. Despite that hiatus, Nistor believes he’s on the cusp of world-level recognition and is open to fighting Joshua if promoter Eddie Hearn presents an offer.
In a discussion with World Boxing News, Nistor said: “I’d love to box again with my former rivals. If I could box against Joshua and [Oleksandr] Usyk again, that would be my goal. But right now, I’m not just with them. I have been continuing to win fights. I’m a bit disappointed with my career.”
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He further lamented the impact Covid-19 had on his career progression, stating: “I was held back for about two years because of the pandemic. I am confident and convinced that I will make it to the level of Joshua and Usyk.”
Meanwhile, Joshua hasn’t competed since his devastating knock-out defeat to Daniel Dubois last September, a result which interrupted a series of victories following successive losses to Oleksandr Usyk.
On AJ’s losses to Usyk, Nistor reflected: “I believe Usyk defeated Joshua through superior technique and tactics. He wanted the victories more. I think Joshua’s behaviour can be explained by the fact that losing for the second time made the defeat even more painful. I believe that after the defeats to Usyk, Joshua didn’t recover mentally enough. I think that led to the loss against Dubois. He wasn’t focused.”
