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Englishman Anthony Joshua is one of the big names in the world of boxing. He was born on October 15, 1989. However, he spent part of his childhood in Nigeria, where his mother comes from. He later attended a boarding school in West Africa, where his parents sent him to avoid alcohol, drugs and crime. According to him, this period taught him discipline.
A talented football player and athlete
When Anthony was 12, his parents divorced, and he returned to the UK. As a child, he had an exceptional sporting talent. While at school, he played a bit of football, and he was doing pretty well. At the same time, he devoted himself to athletics, where he achieved even greater success. He also confirmed this in 2012, when, as a world-famous boxer, he beat professional runner Mohammed Farah on the track and ran 100 meters in 11.53 seconds. Just for comparison, the track record of 100 meters was held that year by Usain Bolt, who finished his run in 9.63 seconds at the London Olympics.
He didn’t start boxing for money, but to win medals
Young Anthony’s boxing steps led to an amateur club in Barnet, where he was brought by his cousin. However, he didn’t fully submit to the charm of this sport until he was eighteen. He achieved his first successes two years later, when he won the Haringey Boxing Cup, and then again a year later. In 2010, he won 18 matches and won the Senior ABA Championship in the weight category over 91 kg.
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At the same time, he was given the opportunity to become a professional boxer. The offer was accompanied by the amount of 50 thousand pounds. Surprisingly, Joshua refused this opportunity and instead opted in participating in the London Olympics. He claims that he did not start boxing for money, but to win medals.
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Winning the Olympics and the phenomenal defeat of Vladimir Klitschko
Anthony finally managed to fulfil his dream of winning medals. In 2012, he won a gold medal at the London Olympics. His success was impressive because at that time he was still a young boxer with less than 5 years of experience. He ended his amateur career with a balance of 40 wins and 3 losses.
After joining the pros, he won several international titles. One of the most important moments of his career is the fight with Vladimir Klitschko for the title of champion of the World Boxing Association. At that time, Klitschko himself was among the most experienced boxers and lost only four times in his life. The fight of Joshua vs. Klitschko was watched by 90,000 spectators, lasted 11 rounds, after which the Ukrainian boxer finally succumbed.
During his professional career, Anthony Joshua won 23 matches and lost only once in 2019, surprisingly in a fight with Andy Ruiz. He lost by a technical KO in the seventh round, which shocked many big names in the world of boxing. The overweight American looked awkward at first glance, but he surprised Joshua with his speed and hard blows.
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It was Anthony Joshua who was the clear favourite of the match, which was also reflected in the world of betting, when bookmakers listed the odds for Andy Ruiz to win at 10/1. Joshua did not try to hide his disappointment after the match, apologized to the fans and longed for revenge. When he finally got the chance, Anthony Joshua sat once again on the boxing throne after a closely watched match, when he regained all his belts. He landed more punches than Ruiz and won.
Order of the British Empire holder, but also a hero with a dark side
In 2013, Joshua was awarded the Order of the British Empire from the Queen of England for his boxing services. During his career, he trained hard and cared a lot about his diet. During training, he focuses mainly on the centre of the body and sciatic muscles. He considers diet and rest to be the key to success. He sleeps 10 hours, drinks 5 litres of water and eats two breakfasts and dinners. Despite all the successes, his career was accompanied by a dark side.
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[1] Anthony Joshua – https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/659461
[2] Anthony Joshua Biography Facts, Childhood, Net Worth, Life – https://sportytell.com/biography/anthony-joshua-biography-facts-childhood-personal-life/
[3] Tim Keown - A year after Anthony Joshua upset, what happened to Andy Ruiz Jr.? – https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/29255121/a-year-anthony-joshua-upset-happened-andy-ruiz-jr
[4] Anthony Joshua: his incredible story so far – https://www.stubhub.co.uk/magazine/anthony-joshua-life-story
[5] Jack Porter - Born In Watford, Made In Nigeria: Anthony Joshua's Incredible Journey To The Top – https://www.thesportsman.com/articles/born-in-watford-made-in-nigeria-anthony-joshua-s-incredible-journey-to-the-top
[6] Tim Rickson - Things you didn’t know about Anthony Joshua
[7] Danny Collins - Anthony Joshua destroys Mo Farah over 100m in incredible footage – https://www.thesun.co.uk/archives/boxing/277001/anthony-joshua-destroys-mo-farah-over-100m-in-incredible-footage