36 MAY 201
c ontro l my mind , then I ’ll b e uns toppable.”
While crowds might urge him to charge in like
Tyson (M ike, not Fur y), J oshua is more
circumspect, trying to make the minimum of
mistakes while looking out for those of his
opponent that he can punish. “There are two
types of warriors: the one that rides through
on his horse and tries to slay everyone, and
the sniper. I try to be more like the sniper.
Bang. Bang. Bang. Break them down, shot by
shot.” In his downtime, Joshua plays chess –
as well as first-person shooter video games.
D iscipline is a b ox ing watchword. I t ’s fair, i f
as clichéd as a Rocky plotline, to say that the
sport gave Joshua exactly that. As did the
ele c tronic t ag he wore for 14 months as a
teenager having been put on remand for
“fighting and other crazy stuff” and facing a
potential 10-year prison sentence. “Imagine
being at home every day at 8pm for 14
months: Christmas, New Year, birthdays,” he
says. “That routine was a really good start to
my boxing career. I took a positive from it.”
H e used the spare time to read ab ou t
champions like Joe Louis. “He’s a good
example,” says Joshua. “Louis was a beast in
the ring but very respectful outside the ring.
T hey were the days of class .”
Class – as in standards, respect,
demeanour – is a repeated refrain in any
conversation with Joshua. For instance, when
asked if he is a violent person, he is quick to
shoot such notions down. “No. I was raised
well. My parents are from Nigeria; their culture
is respectful. Very respectful. But I learnt that
you have to be determined. It’s not violence or
aggression. It’s sheer determination.”
But what about that almost malevolent grin
that hits his face when he’s systematically
breaking down his opponents? “It’s weird
because obviously I’m nervous... I don’t
know where that comes from.”
Does he take pleasure from punching
people? “Yeah, I enjoy the job. As you saw in
the gym, I have fun.”
J oshua refer s to fights as “proje c ts” (“ I have
a timeframe, a deadline to work towards”) and
he’s unperturbed by opponents – even one
as storied as the 41-year-old Klitschko. “You
show respect for what he’s achieved, but you
have to r ise to the o c c asion ,” he says. “ You tr y
your b es t and walk ou t the k ing .” B u t is he not
daunted by the growing scale of his projects –
in Klitschko’s case, possibly the biggest fight
in recent heavyweight history? “I definitely get
a bit nervous,” he admits. “But then I think: you
k now w hat the greats do? T hey make the hard
and impossible look easy.”
I t ’s now 11. 3 0 pm. J oshua has barel y pu t
down his fork before his PR hands him a stack
of boxing gloves and T-shirts to autograph.
Under the name “Anthony Joshua”, and
his own gold-penned signature, the
screenprinted legend on the T-shirts reads:
“Stay hungry.”PUNCHING
NUMBERS
Joshua’s vital stats
as much belief as hi
(18 fights, 18 wins, 1
The measurements
from Hugo Boss, wh
makes suits to fit hi
testimonials come f
vanquished foesHT.6 ft 6
S.47 in
W.36 in
NC18 in
RE CH.82 in
BC.19 in
CLVE.17 in
F.
“He hits you throu
gloves, even when
your hands up”(M
opponent no.6, wh
with a broken eye sLG.
“A lot of guys his s
move as well...H
260lb and he’s dan
around, throwing d
jabs”(Jason GaverE.
“Joshua is very ac
can have a big, har
but if it’s not timed
then it takes the st
(Matt Skelton, no.7
WORKOUT PHOTOGRAPHY: HEARST STUDIOS STYLING: HAYLEY LAWRENCE: GROOMING: LAURA DEXTER USING SISLEY PARIS | CLOTHING UNDER ARMOUR7G
S
beggar
scareer
18 KOs).
belowcome
hosomehow
m;the
romhisi
ghyour
nyou’vegot
MattLegg,
hooendeddup
socket)izedon’t
e’s6ftt6in,
ncing
double-
rn, no.11)curate.You
rdpunch,
dcorrectly
tingout”
7)