Anthony Joshua never got into boxing in the early days and struggled to get going despite showing promise.
Joshua spoke about his humble beginnings as a boxer. He revealed to Apple Music’s Songs For Life that he used to take beatings and that he didn’t consider himself a boxer until his first fight.
Anthony Joshua
‘AJ’ made his first foray into the ring in 2009 after lacing up a pair of gloves in 2007. It only took Joshua three years to claim Olympic gold.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Speaking to “Songs for Life” a while ago, Joshua reviewed his transition from the streets of London to the Finchley Boxing Club.
Beaten
When asked about the first time he fought, Joshua began, “Sometimes we used to box in parking lots and use the books outside our store. But I do have some memories of being hit before.
“Only people who have more experience than me in the gym. Remember, I didn’t start where I was today.
“I started, and I couldn’t even jump. I didn’t even have my rhythm jumping. So I started in the mirror, like pricks. Bring it back to your head, then a right hand. But that’s how we started.”
no idea
Eventually thinking of himself as a boxer, the reigning world champion added: “I think. My cousin and I made a truce. We noticed that everyone was buying all the gear but had no idea.
“So we said until our first fight, we are not going to claim that we are boxers. Because it was cool when we were all from the local gym and we used to hang out on the weekends.
“We’ll tell all the girls, ‘Yes. We do a little boxing. We are boxers. How to get love But none of us have had a fight yet. We are still training.
“So, until I had my first fight, I never really vindicated myself as a boxer. But once I fought, I wore that shield of honor with pride. Yes. So that was one.
“The second is when I got away from the hustle and bustle. I remember talking to one of my friends and saying, “I think I can do it in this boxing game. I think this boxing game is for me.”
“You can’t have one foot in and one foot out. I just wanted to make the full jump into this world of boxing and see how far I could go. And that was it”.
Songs For Life aired on Apple Music and is available on demand at apple.co/_SongsForLife.
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