23 year-old Anthony Joshua grew-up in Watford and lives in London after moving to the capital aged 14.  He started boxing when he was 18 after his cousin Gbenga Ileyemi (2011 ABA Champion at 91kg) took him to Finchley ABC.

 

A naturally gifted sportsman, who played football to high standard and ran the 100m in less-than 11 seconds as a teenager, Anthony quickly rose through the ranks and in May 2010 he became Senior ABAE Champion at 91kg+.

 

International recognition followed and in the summer of 2010 he was added to GB Boxing’s Development Squad.  In November 2010 he became Champion of Great Britain when he defeated Amin Isa at the GB Championships and May 2011 he retained his ABAE title.

 

A creditable performance for GB Boxing at the 2011 European Championships, which ended at the quarter finals, saw Anthony gain promotion to the GB Boxing Podium Squad and in October 2011, he spectacularly announced himself on the world stage when he defeated the Olympic and two-time World champion, Roberto Cammarelle in the quarter finals of the World Championships in Baku to secure qualification for the London 2012.  He went on to win a silver medal, narrowly losing a gripping final 13-12 to Azerbaijan’s Magomedrasul Majidov. 

 

Joshua faced Cammarelle for a second time in the finals of the London 2012 Olympic Games, defeating the Italian to take the gold medal.

In 2013 he was awarded an MBE in the Queen's New Years Honours list for services to boxing.