{"id":378234,"date":"2025-12-30T23:45:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-30T23:45:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/378234\/"},"modified":"2025-12-30T23:45:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-30T23:45:10","slug":"everything-you-didnt-know-about-boxing-champ-anthony-joshua-the-root","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/378234\/","title":{"rendered":"Everything You Didn\u2019t Know About Boxing Champ Anthony Joshua \u2013 The Root"},"content":{"rendered":"

Anthony Joshua\u2019s name has been buzzing in Black pop culture. After destroying YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in a recent bout in Miami, Joshua\u2019s popularity has grown exponentially. Unfortunately, his name has also been circulating this week following his involvement in a horrific car accident<\/a> on the M1 motorway in Nigeria, where his vehicle collided with another car. <\/p>\n

While Joshua survived the terrible crash with minor injuries, Sina Ghami and Kevin Latif Ayodele, who were both his friends and personal trainers, and passengers in the vehicle, sadly passed away.<\/p>\n

\u200bThough many who are die-hard fans of the \u201csweet science\u201d of boxing are familiar with \u201cAJ\u201d, casual observers may not be aware that the 6-foot-6, 234-pound pugilist is incredibly accomplished in and outside of the ring. To bring you up to speed, here is Everything You Need To Know About Anthony Joshua.<\/p>\n

\u200bHe\u2019s of Nigerian Descent<\/p>\n

\u200bBorn in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, to Nigerian parents<\/a>, Joshua spent part of his childhood at a boarding school in Nigeria before returning to the UK at age 12. He has a tattoo of the map of Africa with Nigeria highlighted on his arm and frequently makes trips back to his native land.<\/p>\n

\u200bHe Formerly Worked As A Bricklayer<\/p>\n

Before coming to prominence as a boxer, Joshua worked as a bricklayer on various construction sites. He credited<\/a> his work as a bricklayer to his discipline and work ethic.<\/p>\n

\u200bHe\u2019s a Late Bloomer In Boxing<\/p>\n

\u200bUnlike most champions who start young, Joshua got a late start in boxing. He did not take up boxing until he was 18 years old<\/a>. His cousin Ben Ileyemi introduced him to the sport at Finchley ABC in 2007.<\/p>\n

\u200bHe\u2019s An Olympic Gold Medalist<\/p>\n

\u200bJoshua took home the gold medal for Great Britain in the super-heavyweight division at the 2012 London Olympics. He defeated <\/a>Italy\u2019s Roberto Cammarelle, winning on countback after a tied score. In earlier rounds, he defeated Zhang Zhilei (China) and Ivan Dychko (Kazakhstan). Interestingly, he was the final medalist for Team GB at those Games.<\/p>\n

\u200bHe Made His Professional Debut In 2012<\/p>\n

\u200bTurning pro in 2012, Joshua quickly made a name for himself as one of the most promising fighters in all of Great Britain. In his first bout,<\/a> he defeated Emanuele Leo via technical knockout (TKO) in the very first round on October 5, 2013.<\/p>\n

\u200bHe Captured His First Championship In 2016<\/p>\n

Joshua won his first world heavyweight title on April 9, 2016. He defeated Charles Martin at the O2 Arena in London for the IBF heavyweight title. Joshua won by a second-round knockout, making him a world champion in only his 16th professional fight.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s Two-Time Unified \u00a0Champion<\/p>\n

As one of the premier boxers in the heavyweight division, Joshua is a two-time former unified world heavyweight champion. He unified the belts by defeating Wladimir Klitschko in 2016. Joshua won the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO titles after besting Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s An Avid Chess Player<\/p>\n

When he\u2019s not knocking dudes out in the squared circle, \u00a0he is an avid chess player.<\/a> He believes that playing chess helps his strategic thinking and allows him to be disciplined in the ring against his opponents.<\/p>\n

\u200bHe Received Royal Honors From the British Empire<\/p>\n

\u200bFor his services to boxing and sport, he was appointed<\/a> a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2013 and later an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2018.<\/p>\n

\u200bHis Fight Against Jake Paul Was Seen By 33 Million Viewers Across The Globe<\/p>\n

\u200bAnthony Joshua vs Jake Paul, which took place on December 19, 2025, drew significant viewership with the backing of Netflix. According to the streaming giant<\/a>, f33 million Live+1 viewers globally watched the fight from opening to closing bell. The bout reached Netflix\u2019s Top 10 in 91 countries and ranked #1 in 45 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Australia, Mexico, and Argentina. It also garnered 1.25 billion impressions across Netflix\u2019s global social channels.<\/p>\n

Straight From \"The<\/p>\n

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