Anthony Joshua has become the subject of an unusual online discussion after former associate and social media personality 11Milllz claimed he believes the boxing star has been replaced by a clone.

Speaking during an appearance on the RTM Podcast, 11Milllz explained that his theory stems from a recent interaction with Joshua, which he says left him questioning whether the man he met was the same person he had known years earlier.

“As far as I'm concerned, I think that Joshie's a clone. I think the one there now he's a clone.”

Explaining his reasoning, 11Milllz said he and Joshua had built a friendship during the early stages of the boxer's career, long before he became a household name.

“Because when he was amateur, me and him used to get along, right? And even when he was in the Olympics, me and him used to chat on the phone.”

Joshua famously represented Team GB at the 2012 London Olympics, winning a gold medal in the super-heavyweight division before turning professional and becoming one of British boxing's biggest success stories. The Watford-born fighter went on to unify the WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles and has spent more than a decade operating at the highest level of the sport.

According to 11Milllz, the moment that convinced him something had changed came after he was released from prison and attended a gathering at Joshua's home.

“When I came out of prison recently, and I went to his mansion party, and I bucked him there, and he didn't remember me. He didn't remember me.”

He went on to recall a specific conversation he believed Joshua should have remembered, involving an appearance he made on the children's television programme Blue Peter.

“Because I remember I posted that video on my Facebook one time, right? And then Joshie replied to it saying, ‘oh rah, you was on Blue Peter?’ And then me and him had a conversation about it. And you see certain things in life, I don't care how famous you get, how where you've been, there's certain things you always remember.”

While 11Milllz's comments were met with laughter by some listeners, many social media users rejected the theory outright and pointed to more practical explanations. One person commented:

“Imagine how much life AJ has lived in those 14 years…asking man to remember one moment of banter about Blue Peter..”

Another wrote:

“Imagine basing AJ’s entire life, authenticity and existence on his remembrance of you! How self-centred! Now he’s a clone? Hahaha wow.”

A third added:

“Getting punched in your head constantly as your job will probably have bad effects on ones memory! Just a thought!”

The final comment touches on a subject that has been widely discussed within combat sports. Medical experts have long warned that repeated blows to the head can affect brain health over time, with memory problems being one of several issues linked to repeated head trauma. While there is no suggestion Joshua is suffering from any such condition, boxing's relationship with brain health has been the focus of increasing research and discussion in recent years.

As for Joshua himself, neither the former heavyweight champion nor any member of his team has publicly responded to the claims.

For now, most fans appear to be treating the comments as little more than podcast banter, although they have certainly succeeded in getting people talking.