Anthony Joshua, London 2012 Olympics gold medallist, is the future of heavyweight boxing
MANNY Pacquiao might be fighting this weekend but most of the UK has its attention fixed on heavyweight prospect Anthony Joshua.
Joshua became a star at the London Olympics by winning gold in the super heavyweight division and after turning professional has won all nine of his fights by knockout.
He faces British journeyman Michael Sprott in Liverpool on Sunday — a bout many see as the next step on his path to replacing Wladimir Klitschko as world heavyweight champion.Here are eight things you need to know about boxing’s newest golden boy.
MANNY Pacquiao might be fighting this weekend but most of the UK has its attention fixed on heavyweight prospect Anthony Joshua.
Joshua became a star at the London Olympics by winning gold in the super heavyweight division and after turning professional has won all nine of his fights by knockout.
He faces British journeyman Michael Sprott in Liverpool on Sunday — a bout many see as the next step on his path to replacing Wladimir Klitschko as world heavyweight champion.
Here are eight things you need to know about boxing’s newest golden boy.
1. HE USED TO DEAL DRUGS
WE wouldn’t be talking about Joshua right now if boxing officials took a harder stance when he was arrested for cannabis possession with intent to supply a year out from the Olympics.
He was sentenced to a 12-month community order and 100 hours unpaid work and most importantly, kept his place in the Great Britain squad for the London Games.
“I was just like a lot of young lads. It was all about how I looked, my clothes, clubbing, girls. I wasn’t with the best group of people,” Joshua told the DailyMail.
“The arrest changed a lot. It forced me to grow up and to respect my responsibilities.”
. HE PICKED UP AN UNUSUAL NICKNAME AT THE OLYMPICS
JOSHUA goes by the nickname “AJ” these days but in the Olympic village he was known as “Crocodile Dundee”.
Why? Because he was said to make friends with everyone.
We’re not sure if that quite rings true, but we’re also not going to question a man with a punch like Joshua’s.
3. HE LIKES TO READ
HOW about this nugget the standard.co.uk dug up about Joshua — he’s a bookworm.
Think and Grow Rich, The Secret, Freakonomics and Rich Dad, Poor Dad are just some of the titles the big boxer has churned through.
Next stop? Studying Egypt.
“We all have questions we want to ask about life. I want to find out about the Egyptians, their history, because they lived before us,” Joshua said. “I want to know what went on in the past.”
4. HE WANTED TO BE A BRICKLAYER
APART from selling drugs, Joshua was part of a crew that would MC at parties and put out their own CDs.
But that was more a hobby then a long-term career option so he started laying bricks.
“It paid well, it was active and I was working outside, which I like. It was right up my street,” Joshua told bbc.com.
“I was looking at becoming a builder, learning my trade, starting my own company. But when I moved to London with my mum and I didn’t have many friends up here, I got into boxing out of boredom.”
5. NOW HE WANTS TO BECOME A STAR
WHILE learning his craft at a Finchley gym, Joshua spent a lot of time watching Mike Tyson fights.
But it’s another heavyweight icon he wants to replicate inside the ring.
“I am not going to be Tyson. I’m going to be completely different,” Joshua told standard.co.uk.
“My goal? To be like (Muhammad Ali).”
Having tasted stardom at the Olympics, Joshua is also putting plans in place to cash in on his celebrity status.
And it’s a footballer he aims to emulate in this area.
“I would want to become a celebrity like David Beckham. He’s done really well,” he said.
6. HE’S AN ATHLETIC MARVEL
JOSHUA, now 25, took up boxing at the relatively late age of 18.
Before that he was quite a handy footballer and also a standout in high school athletics.
He can run the 100m in around 11 seconds — not bad for someone standing 198cm tall.
7. HE’S ALREADY SPARRED WITH KLITSCHKO
IN the heavyweight ranks these days there’s champion Wladimir Klitschko and everyone else.
The Ukrainian has successfully defended his title 17 times during an eight-and-a-half year reign and hasn’t been tested since 2005.
There’s no guarantee Joshua will be any different if he ends up facing the champ, but he showed enough in a recent sparring session with Klitschko to suggest he could hold his own.
“He’s built how a champion should be, is the right weight, very strong and technically capable,” Klitschko told bbc.com of Joshua.
“He’s also very down to earth and asks a lot of questions — that shows the man wants to learn. He has a good future if he keeps doing what he’s been doing.”
8. HE’S YET TO SEE THE END OF THREE ROUNDS
JOSHUA is yet to battle any top notch opposition in the pro ranks but he’s making easy work of the journeymen he’s faced so far.
Of his nine fights, three have finished inside the first round, five in the second and one in the third.
Expect him to rise up the rankings quickly if this efficiency continues.
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