Anthony Joshua is a British professional boxer who is
currently a unified world heavyweight champion, having held the IBF title since
2016, and the WBA and IBO titles since April 2017.
Early Life
Joshua was born 15 October 1989 in Watford to a Nigerian
mother and a British father of Nigerian and Irish descent. His cousin is fellow
unbeaten professional boxer Ben lleyemi. The pair made their professional
debuts together in 2013.
Joshua grew up for some of his early years in Nigeria and
returned to the UK halfway through Year Seven to join Kings Langley Secondary
School. Growing up on the Meriden Estate in Garston, Hertfordshire, Joshua was
called ‘Femi’ by his friends and former teachers, due to his middle name
‘Oluwafemi’. He excelled at football and athletics and broke the Year Nine 100m
record with a time of 11.6 seconds.
Career
Joshua began boxing in 2007, aged 18, when his cousin
suggested he take it up. His club, Finchley ABC in Barnet, North London, is
also home to professional heavyweight Dereck Chisora. Joshua won the 2009 and
2010 Haringey Box Cup. Joshua won the senior ABA Championships in 2010, in only
his 18th bout, and later turned down £50,000 to turn professional.
In 2010 his domestic success earned him a place on the GB
Boxing team and later the same year he became British amateur champion at the
GB Amateur Boxing Championships after defeating Amin Isa. In June 2011 at the
2011 European Amateur Boxing Championships he beat Eric Berechlin and Cathal
McMonagle but was stopped by aggressive Romanian southpaw Mihai Nistor after
receiving several standing counts. Joshua had an amateur record of 40-3.
Joshua went into the 2012 London Olympics as a novice on the
international scene, despite being a world silver medalist. The home boxer battled
through three tough rounds in his opening contest before being given the result
17:16. This decision caused some controversy with most observers believing
Savon had clearly won the bout. whilst a few others taking the view that he had
won on merit In his next bout he fought 2008 Beijing Olympics silver medalist,
Zhang Zhilei dropping his taller opponent in the middle round, Joshua won by
15:11 guaranteeing at least a bronze medal. In the semi-final Joshua met
Kazakhstan boxer, Ivan Dychko, but despite Joshua’s height disadvantage he won
by 13:11 victory gaining a place in the Olympic final. Joshua met 32-year-old
reigning Olympic Champion and former twice World Champion, Roberto Cammarelle
of Italy in the closing bout. After conceding the first two rounds (6:5 and
13:10) to Cammarelle, an adversary he had already beaten the previous year,
Joshua grew into the fight and fought back to level the scores after the third
round (18:18), Joshua was announced winner via count-back and the new Olympic
champion. The final decision was criticised by some boxing experts, being
defined as a “home decision.
On 11 July 2013, it was confirmed that Joshua had turned
professional under the Matchroom Sport promotional banner. Joshua made his
professional debut on 5 October 2013 at the O2 Arena in London in the
Main-Event of a card featuring Scott Quigg’s successful WBA super-bantamweight
title defence against Yoandris Salinas, beating Italian Emanuelue Leo by a TKO
in the first round.
Personal Life
Joshua was a bricklayer before taking up boxing full-time.
In 2009, Joshua was put on remand in Reading Prison for what he describes as
“fighting and other crazy stuff”. He was made to wear an electronic tag on his
ankle when released.
In March 2011, Joshua was pulled over by the police for
speeding in Colindale, North London. He was found with 8ozs of herbal cannabis
hidden in a sports bag in his Mercedes-Benz. He was charged with possession
with intent to supply a class B drug, an offence that carries a maximum 14-year
sentence. Joshua was suspended from GB boxing squad and was sentenced to a
12-month community order and 100 hours’ unpaid work after pleading guilty at
crown court.
In November 2016, Joshua announced he would be investing in
a members-only fitness gym, BXR. Joshua teamed up with the founders of BXR and
put together a number of sports therapists, boxers, boxing coaches and MMA
fighters. The gym was set to open in January 2017 on Chiltern Street in
Marylebone, London.
Joshua has said that he doesn’t follow any particular
religion, but is interested in religion in general. In January 2017, he posted
a photo of himself praying at a mosque in Dubai; the image generated
significant anti-Muslim backlash against him on social media.
Anthony Joshua’s baby son Joseph Bayley Temiloluwa Prince
Joshua was born at Watford General Hospital on October 6, 2015 – making him now
18 months old.
Joshua went to great lengths to keep news of his son a
secret, reportedly buying a £500,000 flat in Finchley, north London, for the
baby’s mother Nicole.
Professional Boxing Record
Anthony has had 19 fights of which he won 19 times by
knockout.
Awards & Recognitions
Anthony previously held the British and Commonwealth
heavyweight titles from 2015 to 2016. As an amateur he represented Britain at
the 2012 Olympics, winning a gold medal in the super-heavyweight division; he
also represented England at the 2011 World Championships, winning silver.
As of April 2017, Joshua is ranked as the world’s best
heavyweight by the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board and BoxRec. He also
boasts a 100% knockout-to-win ratio. Joshua is the second British boxer, after
James DeGale, to win both a gold medal at the Olympics and a world title by a
major professional sanctioning body, as well as being the first British
heavyweight to do so. He is also the second boxer, after Joe Frazier, to win a
world heavyweight title whilst still reigning as Olympic champion at the top
weight.
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