Joshua, Anthony (1989-…), is a British heavyweight boxing champion. His power and boxing skill and his outgoing personality established him as one of the most popular fighters in the world.
Anthony Oluwafemi Olaseni Joshua was born on Oct. 15, 1989, in Watford, England. His mother is Nigerian, and his father is of Nigerian and Irish descent. At the age of 11, Joshua spent 6 months in Nigeria with his mother. He returned to the United Kingdom to attend the Kings Langley secondary school in Hertfordshire in southern England.
Joshua first began boxing as an amateur in 2007. Because of his outstanding record, in 2011 the Boxing Writers Club of Great Britain named him Amateur Boxer of the Year. In 2012, Joshua won the gold medal in the super heavyweight division at the Summer Olympic Games in London, England. Joshua was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his achievement. He turned professional in 2013.
In 2016, Joshua won the International Boxing Federation (IBF) world title. In 2017, he retained his IBF title and added the World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Organization (IBO) championships by knocking out former world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko. Joshua added the World Boxing Organization (WBO) heavyweight title by defeating Joseph Parker in a decision in 2018. In June 2019, Joshua lost his four titles when Andy Ruiz, Jr., defeated him in a knockout. Until he lost to Ruiz, Joshua had been undefeated as a professional. He won his first 20 bouts by knockouts or technical knockouts. In December 2019, Joshua defeated Ruiz in a rematch and regained the IBF, IBO, WBA, and WBO heavyweight titles. In September 2021, Joshua lost his four titles when Oleksandr Usyk defeated him. The following year, Joshua attempted to regain the four titles, but lost a rematch against Usyk.
