Anthony Joshua has been one of the best and most marketable heavyweights in boxing for several years now. And his first step towards stardom came against a fighter who is living a very different life now.
Fresh off winning a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics, Joshua's first professional bout took place at the O2 arena in October 2013.
His opponent – an Italian heavyweight who boasted a record of eight wins and no losses – looked on paper like a stern test for the budding star, but AJ made light work of his foe, scoring a first-round TKO.
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The defeated boxer, Emanuele Leo, never fought again, instead opting for an unorthodox career change.
"I got to know boxing when I was 23 and I had never followed it before, and to be honest, I kept not following it," Leo told Sky Sports in 2020.
"I loved practising the sport and understanding the difference between practising boxing and being a boxer.
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"So when they told me about Joshua and The O2, I said yes, but in truth I was asking myself who is he? And where is it?
"I got to London and met Anthony, a really polite and gentle guy, but he had a host of professionals following him, including fitness coaches, masseurs, trainers etc.
"I didn't enjoy the financial security that would allow me to train only.
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"I started boxing late and progressed very quickly, but I burned out in the last stage of my journey, as I finally understood the massive difference between boxing in Italy and in the rest of the world.
"Now I'm a steelworker and I'm in love, I feel good and I'm sure I can do better."
Joshua's last outing was a fifth-round knockout loss to Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium last year. No announcement has yet been made over when the 35-year-old former world champion – whose record now stands at 28-4 – will return to the ring.
Dubois was supposed to have been back in action this past weekend, but he was forced to pull out of a scheduled fight with Anthony Parker in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, due to illness.
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Parker stopped Dubois' last-minute replacement, Martin Barkole, in the second round,
Topics: Boxing, Anthony Joshua
Ryan Baldi