Anthony Joshua's Opponent on Pro Debut Now Living Very Different Life

The man who will go down in history as Anthony Joshua's first-ever professional opponent is now living a very different life after he "burned out" in the latter stages of his boxing career.

It has been just over 12 years since Joshua made his much-anticipated professional debut at the O2 Arena, London, where he came up against Italian heavyweight Emanuele Leo.

Coming into the contest, Leo boasted a record of eight wins and no losses, and for many, was deemed a tricky challenge for recently-crowned Olympic champion Joshua, who was eager to make a name for himself.

However, that unbeaten streak was soon put to an end. In fact, it took Joshua just two minutes and 47 seconds to score a TKO victory.

"There were big expectations on me as people wanted to see what I've been up to in the 14 months I've been away," Joshua told the BBC after his debut win.

"I had to stay relaxed. I've been doing a lot of work outside of the ring in the gym and I feel like I showed a bits and pieces of my skills tonight. Everyone is proud and hopefully everyone can understand what my dreams are."

Joshua impressed on his pro debut. Image credit: Getty

He added: "I just need to stay disciplined, focused and hopefully everyone will support me and let me crack on with it. Then you will see the best of me."

Leo, meanwhile, would never step into the boxing ring again, instead opting for a somewhat unorthodox career change.

Speaking in an interview with Sky Sports, the Italian admitted he had never heard of Anthony Joshua ahead of their bout in October 2013.

"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," he said in 2020. "I loved practising the sport and understanding the difference between practising boxing and being a boxer.

"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."

Leo hasn't competed professionally since being knocked out by Joshua in 2013. Image credit: Getty

Touching on his time as a professional boxer, he added: "I didn't enjoy the financial security that would allow me to train only.

"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."

He added: "Now I'm a steelworker and I'm in love, I feel good and I'm sure I can do better."