BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY
Anthony Joshua
| Anthony Joshua, MBE | |
|---|---|
Joshua in September 2012
| |
| Statistics | |
| Real name | Anthony Oluwafemi Olaseni Joshua |
| Nickname(s) | AJ |
| Rated at | Heavyweight |
| Height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)[1] |
| Reach | 83 in (211 cm) |
| Nationality | British |
| Born | 15 October 1989 Watford, Hertfordshire, England |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 13 |
| Wins | 13 |
| Wins by KO | 13 |
| Losses | 0 |
Medal record[hide]
| |
Anthony Oluwafemi Olaseni Joshua, MBE (born 15 October 1989) is a British professional boxer competing in the heavyweightdivision, where he is the current WBC International champion.[2][3][4] As an amateur, he won a gold medal in the super heavyweightdivision at the 2012 Olympics, and a silver medal at the 2011 World Amateur Boxing Championships.
Early life
Joshua was born in Watford to a Nigerian mother and an English father of Nigerian and Irish descent.[5] He attended school at Kings Langley Secondary School.[6][7]
Amateur career
A late-starter in the sport, Joshua only took up boxing in 2007, aged 18, when his cousin suggested he take up the sport. 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. "Turning down that £50,000 was easy. I didn't take up the sport for money, I want to win medals." He also went on to win the same tournament the following year. 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.[8] In October 2011 he was named Amateur Boxer of the Year by the Boxing Writers Club of Great Britain.
2011 World Amateur Boxing Championships[edit]
During the 2011 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, Joshua marked his sudden arrival on the world scene when he beat Italian reigning World & Olympic champion Roberto Cammarelle, and went on to stop Erik Pfeifer of Germany in the semis before losing by a single point to local boxer, Magomedrasul Majidov winning a silver medal. En route to the final, Joshua secured his place at the 2012 Olympic Games in the 91 kg+ division as a relative new-comer to the elite level of the sport.
Amateur highlights
- 2009 as a Super Heavyweight. Results were:
- Lost to Dillian Whyte (United Kingdom) UD-3
- 2010 won the ABA National Championships 91 kg+ in Bethnal Green, London as a Super Heavyweight. Results were:
- Defeated Chris Duff (United Kingdom) WO
- Defeated Simon Hadden (United Kingdom) WO
- Defeated Dominic Winrow (Isle of Man) RSC-1
- 2010 won the Haringey International Tournament in Haringey, London as a Super Heavyweight. Results were:
- Defeated Otto Wallin (Sweden) PTS
- 2011 won the ABA National Championships 91 kg+ in Colchester, Essex as a Super Heavyweight. Results were:
- Defeated Fayz Aboadi Abbas (United Kingdom) PTS (24-15)
- 2011 came 7th in the 39th European Amateur Boxing Championships 91 kg+ in Ankara, Turkey as a Super Heavyweight. Results were:
- Defeated Eric Brechlin (Germany) PTS (23-16)
- Defeated Cathal McMonagle (Ireland) PTS (22-10)
- Lost to Mihai Nistor (Romania) RSCH-3
- 2011 came 2nd in the 16th 2011 AIBA World Boxing Championships 91 kg+ in Baku, Azerbaijan as a Super Heavyweight. Results were:
- Defeated Tariq Abdul-Haqq (Trinidad and Tobago) RSCI-3
- Defeated Juan Isidro Hiracheta (Mexico) RET-1
- Defeated Mohamed Arjaoui (Morocco) PTS (16-7)
- Defeated Roberto Cammarelle (Italy) PTS (15-13)
- Defeated Erik Pfeiffer (Germany) RSCI-1
- Lost to Magomedrasul Medzhidov (Azerbaijan) PTS (22-21)
- 2012 Super Heavyweight Olympic Gold Medalist as a member of Team GB. His results were:
- Defeated Erislandy Savon (Cuba) PTS (17-16)
- Defeated Zhang Zhilei (China) PTS (15:11)
- Defeated Ivan Dychko (Kazakhstan) PTS (13-11)
- Defeated Roberto Cammarelle (Italy) PTS (+18-18)
2012 Olympics Games
Joshua went into the 2012 London Olympics as a novice on the international scene, despite being a world silver medalist. He received a tough draw in the last 16 of the super heavyweight event, in Cuban Erislandy Savon, ranked #4 in the world by AIBA and nephew of the three time Olympic champion, Felix Savon. 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[9][10] whilst a few others taking the view that he had won on merit.[11] In his next bout he fought 2008 Beijing Olympics silver medalist, Zhilei Zhang 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 round to Cammarelle, a man he had already beaten the previous year, Joshua grew into the fight and fought back to level the scores after the third round, Joshua was announced winner via count-back and the new Olympic champion.[12] The final decision was criticized by some boxing experts, being defined as a "home decision".[13]
He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to boxing.[14][15]
Professional career
On 24 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.[16]
Joshua's second professional fight was against English Heavyweight Paul Butlin at the Motorpoint Arena Sheffield on 26 October 2013. The bout was stopped in the 2nd round when the referee decided Butlin was taking too much punishment and declared Joshua the winner by TKO.[17]
Joshua's third professional fight was on the Prizefighter Series card against Croatian, Hrvoje Kisciek, on 14 November 2013. Joshua got a TKO victory in the second round, achieving his third knockout victory in a row.[citation needed]
On 1 February 2014 on the undercard of Lee Selby against Rendall Munroe, Joshua scored a 2nd round TKO victory over Dorian Darch to take his record to 4-0.[citation needed]
On 1 March 2014 on the undercard of Ricky Burns against Terence Crawford, Joshua defeated Hector Alfredo Avila with a 1st round KO, in Glasgow, Scotland.[citation needed]
On 31 May 2014, Joshua knocked out Matt Legg in one round on the undercard of Carl Froch against George Groves in Wembley Stadium.[citation needed]
In Joshua's seventh professional fight, on 12 July 2014, in the Echo Arena, Liverpool, he defeated Englishman Matt Skelton via 2nd round stoppage.[citation needed]
In Anthony Joshua's eight professional fight, on 13 September 2014, against German Heavyweight Konstantin Airich, Joshua took his undefeated record to 8-0 with a 3rd round stoppage victory, in the Manchester Arena.
Joshua was in the Main-Event of a Matchroom Sport card for the second time in his career, in his 9th professional appearance against Denis Bakhtov on 11 October 2014 at The O2 Arena in London, for the WBC International Heavyweight Title. Joshua won the fight by knockout in the second round taking his record to 9-0.[18]
In his 10th professional bout, Joshua defeated Michael Sprott within the 1st round to extend his record to 10 wins all by stoppage. He was supposed to face American boxerKevin Johnson on 31 January 2015 at The O2 Arena in London, but the bout was cancelled after Joshua sustained a back injury.[19] On 4 April 2015, Joshua beat Jason Gavern as he collected a third-round knockout in his return to the ring in Newcastle. On 9 May 2015, in his 12th professional bout, Joshua defeated Raphael Zumbano Love in a second round knockout in Birmingham.
On 30 May 2015, Joshua defeated Kevin Johnson inflicting the first stoppage in Johnson's career. After Johnson was saved by the bell in the first round the fight was stopped by the referee shortly after the beginning of the second round.[20]
Professional boxing record
| 13 wins (13 knockouts, 0 decisions), 0 losses, 0 draws[21] | |||||||
| Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, Time | Date | Location | Notes |
| N/A | N/A |  Dillian Whyte[22] | N/A | - (12) | 2015-12-12 | The O2 Arena, Greenwich, London | For vacant British Heavyweight title. |
| N/A | N/A | Gary Cornish | N/A | - (12) | 2015-09-12 | The O2 Arena, Greenwich, London | For vacant Commonwealth Heavyweight title. |
| Win | 13–0 |  Kevin Johnson | TKO | 2 (10), 1:22 | 2015-05-30 | The O2 Arena, Greenwich, London | Retained WBC International Heavyweight title. |
| Win | 12–0 |  Raphael Zumbano Love | KO | 2 (8), 1:21 | 2015-05-09 | Barclaycard Arena, Birmingham, West Midlands | |
| Win | 11–0 | Jason Gavern | KO | 3 (8), 1:21 | 2015-04-04 | Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle, Tyne and Wear | |
| Win | 10–0 | Michael Sprott | TKO | 1 (10), 1:26 | 2014-11-22 | Echo Arena, Liverpool, Merseyside | British Heavyweight Title Eliminator. |
| Win | 9–0 |  Denis Bakhtov | TKO | 2 (10), 1:00 | 2014-10-11 | The O2 Arena, Greenwich, London | Won vacant WBC International Heavyweight title. |
| Win | 8–0 |  Konstantin Airich | TKO | 3 (8), 1:16 | 2014-09-13 | Phones 4u Arena, Manchester, Greater Manchester | |
| Win | 7–0 | Matt Skelton | TKO | 2 (6), 2:33 | 2014-07-12 | Echo Arena, Liverpool, Merseyside | |
| Win | 6–0 | Matt Legg | KO | 1 (6), 1:23 | 2014-05-31 | Wembley Stadium, Wembley, London | |
| Win | 5–0 |  Hector Avila | KO | 1 (6), 2:14 | 2014-03-01 | SECC Arena, Finnieston, Glasgow | |
| Win | 4–0 | Dorian Darch | TKO | 2 (6), 0:51 | 2014-02-01 | Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, Glamorgan | |
| Win | 3–0 |  Hrvoje Kisicek | TKO | 2 (6), 1:38 | 2013-11-14 | York Hall, Bethnal Green, London | |
| Win | 2–0 | Paul Butlin | TKO | 2 (6), 0:50 | 2013-10-26 | Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield, Yorkshire | |
| Win | 1–0 |  Emanuele Leo | TKO | 1 (6), 2:47 | 2013-10-05 | The O2 Arena, Greenwich, London | Professional debut. |
Personal life
Anthony Joshua grew up in Watford, Hertfordshire, before moving to Coventry in the West Midlands before later moving to live with family in London where he took up boxing.[23]Before boxing Joshua worked as a bricklayer and on building sites.[24] In 2011, Joshua was arrested for possessing cannabis with intent to supply. At a Crown Court hearing, he was sentenced to a 12-month community order and 100 hours' unpaid work after pleading guilty to the offence.[25] Joshua has expressed an interest in chess as well as reading as a way to reinforce his boxing and tactical abilities.[26]
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