Anthony Joshua reveals he will not take the knee before his title fight with Kubrat Pulev

Anthony Joshua reveals he will NOT take the knee before his heavyweight world title fight against Kubrat Pulev on Saturday night, because he wants to do something more ‘tangible and positive’

  • Anthony Joshua says he will not take the knee before his fight with Kubrat Pulev
  • The heavyweight champion is working on a plan to campaign for racial equality
  • Joshua, who took part in a BLM march in June, will forego the symbolic gesture
  • He is instead working on a project to work with charities to push for equality

Anthony Joshua says he will not take the knee before Saturday’s heavyweight world title fight with Kubrat Pulev as he is working on a more ‘tangible’ plan to campaign for racial equality.

Joshua, who took part in a Black Lives Matter march in June, confirmed he will forego the symbolic gesture at the SSE Arena.

But he has disclosed a project is under way within his team to combine with as-yet unspecified charities to support the push for equality.

Anthony Joshua has revealed that he will not take the knee before his fight with Kubrat Pulev

He said: ‘No, I won’t take the knee. I won’t take the knee. I’m trying to do more tangible things. What we’re trying to do is create a union to support British culture. 

‘That’s important – to showcase people from the Afro-Caribbean community as valuable members of British society. I think that’s more important and that’s what we’re working on at the minute.

‘Taking a knee is important – 100 per cent. But for me, personally, I’m doing something different this time around.’

He added: ‘I’ve employed someone with the team who is actually working on it. It’s a difficult task but no success comes without difficulty. Hopefully it comes to fruition and it’s really only to do positive things in the great British environment.

Joshua, who took part in a Black Lives Matter march in June (pictured), will forego the symbolic gesture before his fight with Pulev at the SSE Arena in Wembley

Joshua, who took part in a Black Lives Matter march in June (pictured), will forego the symbolic gesture before his fight with Pulev at the SSE Arena in Wembley

Joshua (centre left) is instead working on a project to work with charities to push for equality

Joshua (centre left) is instead working on a project to work with charities to push for equality

‘There’s sometimes issues with stigma and stereotypes. So it’s to showcase NHS workers, architects, athletes and be positive for everyone in the community. 

‘We’ve created a deck, a website (that has not yet gone live), and we’re doing foundational things with grassroots charities at the minute.

‘What I would like to do is to team up with charities who deal with these things day in and day out and support their causes and champion them.’