British heavyweight Anthony Joshua has voiced his reservations about his son following in his footsteps to become a professional boxer, describing it as an unwise decision.
The two-time former unified world heavyweight champion, speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, expressed his preference for his son, Joseph Joshua, known as JJ, to pursue a career in accountancy. Joshua emphasized that while he wants JJ to forge his own path, he believes a career in numbers would be more beneficial.
“I would much prefer if my son became an accountant,” Joshua said, adding that he wanted JJ to be “the best man that he can be.” He reiterated his previous stance, saying his views about his son’s future have not changed. Joshua advised JJ to “do the best you can do” when considering his future career.
Reflecting on his own career, Joshua shared how boxing provided an outlet for his energy during challenging times in his youth. After encountering legal troubles and experiencing homelessness at 17, Joshua found a turning point in boxing at 18.
Joshua’s boxing career soared when he clinched a gold medal at the London 2012 Olympics and turned professional the following year. His victory over Wladimir Klitschko in 2017 cemented his status as a top heavyweight, with Joshua winning his first 22 professional bouts, 21 of them by knockout.
However, Joshua faced a significant setback in 2022 when he failed to regain the unified WBO, WBA, and IBF heavyweight titles from Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia. The defeat deeply affected him, leading to an emotional post-fight press conference where he apologized and expressed the emotional toll the loss had taken.
Speaking candidly on Desert Island Discs, Joshua revealed that he retreated into a “dark room” for five days to mentally heal from the defeat.
