A photo of Anthony Joshua has been trending on social media as it shows the strapping heavyweight champ looking almost unrecognisable as a teenager.
The Watford-born boxer spoke about his childhood - which involved a brief spell living in Nigeria at age 11, before he moved back to the UK - to Vogue this month. AJ fell in with the wrong crowd after his return and eventually served two weeks on remand at Reading prison for what he describes as "fighting and other madness".
However Joshua was still a skinny teenager at the time. One who after his jail stint took up weightlifting, then eventually boxing - the sport that eventually helped him to turn his life around.
Advert
It certainly led to a physical transformation too, as the 6ft 6in adonis is now an absolute physical specimen. It's remarkable to think he started lifting weights because he was too puny.
Well, it turns out that hard work pays off and it's now got to the point where the 31-year-old has to be careful not to pack on too much muscle (not a problem we have ever encountered to be honest).
After his sole pro defeat to Andy Ruiz in 2019, Joshua acknowledged he'd become too muscular and needed to shift some bulk. Shedding 10lb, Joshua weighed in 237lb (just under 17 stone) for the rematch, which he dominated.
Speaking about his time in Nigeria and what a complete lifestyle change it was, Joshua told Vogue: "I spent about nine months in a boarding school... Really, tough. No nonsense. Education is, 'I want you to be a doctor or a lawyer.' There's no YouTube, no boxing.
Advert
"None of that, it's either doctor or lawyer, simple. So education is important in Nigerian schools and especially in a boarding school.
"My school was called The Bells - they go round with a bell at five in the morning.
"Five in the morning, that's when I'm getting my deep sleep as well normally in London!
"Waking me up at five in the morning, and if you don't wake up, they bust through the door, 'Wake up!'
Advert
"Discipline; so tomorrow through your mistake, you're not going to make the same mistake again, so that's why I believe mistakes are good."
Fair play, although Joshua will have to be at his best to avoid any errors in his next contest, which looks likely to be against undefeated ex-cruiserweight champion, Oleksandr Usyk.
The Ukrainian is one of the world's best pound-for-pound boxers and, while the modern-day AJ will have significant size and strength advantages, it should make for an intriguing challenge (even if it isn't the Tyson Fury showdown the world wanted to see).
Featured image credit: Instagram @anthonyjoshua
Featured Image Credit:Topics:Β Heavyweight boxing, Anthony Josuha
