Nearly a decade after accusing Anthony Joshua of having an affair with his wife, former unified light-welterweight champion, Amir Khan has admitted he was wrong and has since reconciled with the two-time heavyweight champion.
The explosive allegations, made by Khan on social media in 2017, caused a bitter fallout with his wife
and dragged Joshua into the headlines. At the time, AJ denied the claims, posting:
“Bantz aside, I hope you guys can resolve your situation, or this is a hack as we have never even met!”
Khan, then embroiled in a public spat with Makhdoom, doubled down on the accusations, telling fans at the time:
“Everything you saw on social media today is real. Nothing’s been hacked. But yeah, what’s done is done. Everything I posted on social media today was true.”
The pair later reconciled, and Khan now concedes his comments were a mistake.
“I Take Full Blame” – Amir Khan on Drama with Anthony Joshua
Speaking to Covers, the 38-year-old reflected on his relationship with Joshua:
“We’re both professional people, and we just moved on. It was all just a mistake, and it was all just rubbish, really.
“There was nothing true there. And, yeah, at the end of day it was a bit silly that I threw him under the bus over a message which wasn’t really him.”
“He was just coming up in the ranks then as well and, really, it was a bit sad that I did that at the time.
“So, I take full blame for that little issue me and AJ. But the good thing about it was nothing was true and, obviously, me and him have made up and he came to my event in Ghana.”
“We spent some time together, we chilled together, and we speak to each other on the phone here and there, on WhatsApp, so, we have a very professional relationship now and we keep it good.”
Respect Between Champions
Khan revealed a heartfelt moment with Anthony Joshua in Dubai following AJ’s defeat to Oleksandr Usyk:
“We have mutual friends, and the last time I sat with him in Dubai; it was after his loss against Usyk and out of the blue he just says: ‘Oh bro, one thing I want to say to you is you were an amazing fighter, Amir.’
“It was quite shocking hearing that coming from one of the heavyweight greats in AJ. He said, ‘I was watching one of your fights, I think against Judah, and bro, you boxed so well. He was a great fighter.’
“It’s nice to hear that from another champion, especially after we had issues. When another fighter of his calibre acknowledges your career, it goes a long way.”
“AJ Put Boxing Back on the Map” – Khan
Khan, who burst onto the global stage by winning Olympic silver in 2004, credits Joshua for carrying British boxing after his own career slowed:
“Definitely, yeah. We must respect each other at the end of the day because, look, what you’ve done for boxing is massive.”
“In 2004, boxing was lit up by me coming back from the Olympics and then after my career went down a little bit, AJ lifted it back up again in 2012.”
Joshua Plots Comeback Fight and Fury Showdown
Meanwhile, Joshua is preparing for a return to the ring later this year as he continues his bid to reclaim heavyweight glory.
Promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed AJ will fight again in October, November, or December following elbow surgery:
“He is motivated. Physically feeling good now to return to camp and ready for one little last roll to this incredible career,” Hearn told Sky Sports.
“Hopefully that involves a fight with Mr (Tyson) Fury. But first thing is first, AJ will return during that period this year and obviously he must win and that performance will tell us a lot about the future of Anthony Joshua.”
Joshua’s long-anticipated clash with Tyson Fury could take place in 2026, a year Hearn has hinted could be AJ’s final in professional boxing.
Two Careers, Two Legends
Khan retired in 2022 with a 34-6 professional record and world titles in two weight classes, while Joshua remains one of Britain’s most iconic fighters, a two-time heavyweight champion, and Olympic gold medalist.
