Beating Dominic Breazeale to retain my heavyweight title was a good feeling, but it’s expected. It makes me more humbled by the whole experience. The main pleasure I get is watching the people around me feeding off it. It’s nice to see everyone else around happy.
The fight against Charles Martin to win the IBF title was the biggest of my life. People would think it would be the Olympics, but, being so young, I didn’t take in what it represented. As a professional I’ve been boxing for a long time, so I understood the business, and the benefits that would come with being the world champion.
People think I’ll knock out an opponent in two rounds, but going for longer involves a change of game plan, and time to show off my boxing skill.
I’m calm so that’s how I come across on TV. There’s pressure when the cameras are on, which makes some people act a certain way. Boxers often want to be macho, but I want to have fun!
The mindset against Breazeale was that I’d blast him out in two rounds, but then it went differently from that. I was like the snake charmer: I had to control my opponent so that I could execute my own gameplan. It’s not just brawn, there’s brains involved, too. You can’t always be that macho man. They say the boxer beats the fighter; the fighter being that bruiser. I’m always trying to work on those skills.
I now understand cars’ beauty. I’m driving vehicles that are far nicer than I would have expected. Driving is a great rest, and, on a good day, it’s all about the car you’re in, too. I’ve got a Jaguar XJR.
How do I prepare for fights? Some boxers play chess, others like to read. I like to be around different people: professionals, people who have masters degrees, who have found success, so that I can soak up their knowledge. I try to take advantage of all the information our generation can easily access.
I’d love to fight in Africa. Ali and Foreman went there and it was historic – you can follow that blueprint. For today’s promoters, it’s thinking outside of the box like Don King did with the Rumble in the Jungle.
Anthony Joshua helps Jaguar F-PACE celebrate its Car of the Year win at the AutoExpress Awards.
This article was taken from the September/October issue of Gentleman’s Journal. Subscribe to the magazine here.
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