Anthony Joshua ‘proud’ of Will Smith but jokes he should have ‘closed fist’ on Chris Rock

The former heavyweight world champion met Smith at the 2012 Olympics, where Joshua won gold

Anthony Joshua insists he is “proud” of Will Smith for slapping Chris Rock at the Oscar awards and joked he should have “closed his fist”.

Smith shockingly struck Rock in the face after the comedian’s joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head, before shouting at him to not refer to his wife again.

The moment sent shockwaves around the entertainment industry, with Smith since apologising to both Rock and the Academy for his actions.

But two-time heavyweight world champion Joshua, currently in training for his rematch against Oleksandr Usyk, confirmed his support for Smith, while adding a picture of the pair spending time together at the London Olympics in 2012, where Joshua won a gold medal.

“Proud of you bro,” wrote Joshua. “Next time close your first.”

Joshua then shared a video of the incident with Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” playing over the clip. The song is known for its association with the movie Rocky, the most iconic boxing film in history starring Sylvester Stallone.

Joshua is set to face Usyk in June, with the Ukrainian confirming he has left the country and the territorial defence battalion after Russia’s invasion.

Will Smith and Anthony Joshua attend the premiere for Men In Black 3 in 2012 (Getty Images)

The two-weight world champion’s promoter Alex Krassyuk has confirmed Saudi Arabia is in play to host the rematch.

“(Saudi Arabia) is under discussion at the moment,” Krassyuk told Sky Sports. “Late June is also the timing we are considering now. Many things will depend on how fast we manage to ink the papers.

“The good thing is that Usyk is already in Europe to start his preparation.”