<p>Anthony Joshua is one of the most decorated British boxers of all time. Olympic gold medallist and two-time unified heavyweight champion, he is a bloke who went from laying bricks to filling Wembley Stadium.</p> <p>The Watford-born heavyweight holds a record of 28-4 with 25 knockouts, which translates into an 89% knockout rate. In other words, when AJ lands clean, people go to sleep.</p> <p>Joshua didn't start boxing until he was 18. His cousin suggested he give it a crack after he'd been getting into trouble as a teenager and, only five years later, he was standing on the Olympic podium in London with a gold medal around his neck.</p> <p>Four years after that, he was a world champion.</p> <p>Not bad for a late starter.</p> <h2>Background</h2> <p>Joshua grew up on the Meriden Estate in Garston, Hertfordshire. His mates called him "Femi" back then, short for his middle name Oluwafemi.</p> <p>His mother is Nigerian and his father is Nigerian-Irish. He spent part of his childhood at a boarding school in Nigeria before returning to England after his parents divorced.</p> <p>Before boxing found him (or he found boxing), Joshua was a handy athlete. He played football, ran track, and broke his school's Year 9 100m record with a time of 11.6 seconds. The speed is still there and you definitely see it in his jab.</p> <h2>The Rise</h2> <p>Joshua turned professional in October 2013 and didn't hang about. He won his first 15 fights by knockout, including a brutal stoppage of Dillian Whyte at the O2 Arena in Greenwich, London.</p> <p>Whyte had actually beaten him in the amateurs years earlier. AJ settled that score with an uppercut that's still doing the rounds on YouTube.</p> <p>In April 2016, he knocked out Charles Martin in two rounds to win the IBF heavyweight title. He was 26 years old with just 16 professional fights.</p> <p>Then came Wladimir Klitschko.</p> <p>April 2017. Wembley Stadium. 90,000 fans. Joshua dropped Klitschko in the fifth. Klitschko dropped Joshua in the sixth. The place was going absolutely mental. Joshua finished it in the eleventh with two more knockdowns, and suddenly he wasn't just a champion. He was a superstar.</p> <p>That fight won Ring Magazine's Fight of the Year and, in all fairness, it deserved it.</p> <h2>The Setbacks</h2> <p>Joshua looked untouchable at 22-0. Then Andy Ruiz Jr happened.</p> <p>June 2019 at Madison Square Garden. Ruiz, a late replacement opponent with a dad bod and fast hands, dropped Joshua four times and stopped him in the seventh round. It remains one of the biggest upsets in heavyweight history.</p> <p>Joshua handled it well. He did not look for any excuses, and he won the rematch six months later with a disciplined boxing performance that showed he could adapt. But questions lingered about his chin and his ability to fight on the back foot.</p> <p>Those questions got answered, sort of, by Oleksandr Usyk. The Ukrainian southpaw outboxed Joshua twice, winning by unanimous decision in 2021 and split decision in 2022.</p> <p>Both fights were close, competitive, and frustrating for AJ fans who watched their man struggle to impose his size advantage.</p> <h2>The Rebuild</h2> <p>At this point, Joshua did what true champs do and decided to go back to basics. He split with trainer Rob McCracken after the Usyk losses and started working with different coaches.</p> <p>He stopped three of his next five opponents, including a devastating second-round knockout of former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in March 2024.</p> <p>It looked like he was back. Then Daniel Dubois hit him.</p> <p>September 2024 at Wembley. Joshua was challenging for the IBF title. Dubois dropped him four times and finished him in the fifth round. It was a brutal reminder that at 35, Joshua is no longer the indestructible force he once seemed.</p> <h2>Anthony Joshua Stats</h2> <ul> <li>Name: Anthony "AJ" Joshua</li> <li>Date of Birth: 15/10/1989</li> <li>Age: 36 Height: 6'6" (198cm)</li> <li>Weight: 245-252lbs (111-114kg)</li> <li>Reach: 82 inches (208cm)</li> <li>Stance: Orthodox</li> <li>Division: Heavyweight</li> <li>Record: 28-4-0 (28 wins, 4 losses, 0 draws)</li> <li>Pro Debut: 05/10/2013</li> <li>Status: Active</li> <li>From: Watford, Hertfordshire, England</li> </ul> <p>Fancy a flutter on AJ's next bout? Check out our <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/boxing">Boxing Betting</a> page now or discover the <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/boxing/grade-a-fights/jake-paul-v-anthony-joshua-9856008">latest odds for the Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua fight</a> happening in December 2025.</p>