Nick Buckley, a former Reform UK candidate and British charity founder, has ignited widespread condemnation after launching a vitriolic social media attack on British-Nigerian boxing star Anthony Joshua.
In a series of posts published on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, December 20, Buckley branded Joshua “a good example of what is wrong with mass immigration” and unleashed a barrage of inflammatory accusations against the former heavyweight champion.
Buckley accused Joshua of being “an anti white racist,” referencing a speech the boxer made during Black Lives Matter protests in which he allegedly encouraged Black people not to patronize white-owned businesses. He went on to deride the Nigerian flag as a “third world flag” and questioned why Joshua displays it despite living in Western countries.
“Secondly, he waves around a third world flag as if it is worthy of respect and represents him,” Buckley wrote. “My prediction – he will only ever live in white countries and never live in Nigeria. Ungrateful hypocrite.”
In a follow-up post, Buckley claimed: “To understand why AJ is the way he is, you must understand Anglophobia and how it attacks our culture.”
Fierce Backlash
The comments triggered immediate and fierce backlash across social media, with users from around the world condemning Buckley’s remarks as racist and hateful.
Matthew Stadlen responded bluntly: “Your posts are good examples of racism, Nick.”
Another user, Big Wiz, defended Joshua’s dual identity: “Bro, he’s literally a British boxer and has represented Britain throughout his career. Let the man acknowledge his heritage. That doesn’t make him any less British. He’s British and will keep representing Britain until he retires.”
User @baresaremean offered a scathing critique: “People like you are why people become anti-white racists. the problem is you. Someone like AJ can only be one anti-white racist but you can create and inspire and organize thousands of them, a process that never begins without your bullshit.”
As of this writing, Anthony Joshua has not publicly responded to Buckley’s comments.
Anthony Oluwafemi Olaseni Joshua is a British professional boxer of Nigerian heritage who has proudly represented both his British nationality and Nigerian roots throughout his career. He is known for displaying the Nigerian flag at many of his professional fights.
Most recently, Joshua defeated YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in a dominant sixth-round stoppage on Friday night at the Kaseya Center. The Netflix-backed bout saw Joshua drop Paul four times in a one-sided contest that reportedly left Paul with a broken jaw requiring hospital treatment.
This is not Buckley’s first brush with controversy involving race and immigration. The British social entrepreneur founded The Mancunian Way, a Manchester-based charity addressing youth crime, homelessness, and child exploitation. He received an MBE in 2019 for his work with vulnerable communities.
However, in 2020, Buckley was dismissed from his own charity after publishing an article critical of Black Lives Matter that prompted accusations of upholding racial inequality. He was later reinstated after the charity’s trustees resigned following a pre-lawsuit agreement.
Politically, Buckley represented Reform UK in the 2021 Greater Manchester mayoral race, finishing fifth with 2.69 percent of the vote. He ran again in 2024 as an independent, placing third with 7.6 percent. He is currently affiliated with Advance UK, a far-right political party where he advises on social policy.
The incident has reignited debates about racism in British society, the treatment of dual-heritage citizens, and the acceptable boundaries of political discourse on immigration and national identity.
