Anthony Joshua is a British professional boxer, one I like to call an Elite boxer. Born in Watford, Hertfordshire though a Nigerian descent. Joshua spent some years in Nigeria but returned to Hertfordshire after his parent’s divorce when he was 12.
He grew interests in boxing and went all in on it. He won the senior ABA Championships in 2010, and later turned down £50,000 to turn professional. As he said “Turning down that £50,000 was easy. I didn’t take up the sport for money, I want to win medals.” He had his eyes set on winning and that took him to where he is today.
He is currently the unified world heavyweight champion, holding three of the four major championships in the sport. In 2017, his victorious fight against Wladimir Klitschko was named Fight of the Year by The Ring and the Boxing Writers Association of America. Joshua is the second British boxer, after James DeGale, to win both a gold medal at the Olympics and a world title by a major professional sanctioning body, as well as being the first British heavyweight to do so. As of September 2018, Joshua is ranked as the world’s best active heavyweight by The Ring, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board (TBRB), and BoxRec. Known for his exceptional punching power, he has finished all but one of his fights to date by knockout.
Before Joshua took up boxing fulltime, he was a bricklayer. However, he transformed himself into one of the greatest boxers that ever lived. His charisma, valor, mindset and humility speak so much about what makes a champion.
In the spirit of the championship, here are his powerful quotes to inspire the winner in you.
1. “Just set yourself a goal and try and stick to it. Because you’ll always end up better than where you started.” Anthony Joshua
2. “No matter how big and strong you are even Tyson said he was scared as hell walking to the ring. Everyone feels the pressure.” Anthony Joshua
Watch this video to overcome your fears
3. “From the neck up is where you win or lose the battle. It’s the art of war. You have to lock yourself in and strategize your mindset.” Anthony Joshua
4. “When you are around people who have money, you realize money isn’t that impressive, it’s about your class, morals and how you conduct yourself.” Anthony Joshua
5. “People have built me up to be untouchable, unbeatable, invincible, and I’m not that. I am a man, and I am a winner, but that can change in a second.” Anthony Joshua
6. “The way I meditate is by being organized. I can get real Zen if I go home and tidy the front room.” Anthony Joshua
7. “Sleeping is like meditation: it’s good to rest the body but also to shut the mind down for a bit.” Anthony Joshua
8. “Cardio is a nice way to start the morning, man. Whether you sit on the bike for half an hour or throw on two jumpers and just sweat, it’s good to get up, get the body active, put on your headphones, and just pedal away.” Anthony Joshua
9. “I was raised well. My parents are from Nigeria; their culture is respectful. Very respectful. But I learned that you have to be determined. It’s not violence or aggression. It’s sheer determination.” Anthony Joshua
10. “You have to speak from a place where all is possible. When you speak from a place where there are limits, you’ve already set yourself up to fail.”
Anthony Joshua
11. “Don’t worry about the title. Worry about what you’ve got to do today, tomorrow, the next day, and that title will be waiting for you.” Anthony Joshua
12. “It’s hard to say I don’t like being famous, but how I feel is that I don’t see myself as that person. It baffles me that people would want a picture with me.” Anthony Joshua
13. “Sportsmen just do what they do. I’m not trying to be a role model. If there’s any inspiration people can take from me, take as much as you can – from my good and my bad.” Anthony Joshua
14. “Prayer is a form of meditation, isn’t it? It’s the law of attraction: whatever you put out into the universe is what you receive. It’s just kind of putting your thoughts out into the universe.” Anthony Joshua
15. “You’re confident, you’re going to the ring to fight, but there’s always that little thing where you’re thinking, ‘God.’ You’re nervous. But you have to embrace it and enjoy it.”
Anthony Joshua
16. “Boxing is the embodiment of who I am, but beyond that, this is a journey of the self and my obsession to get the most from this short life.” Anthony Joshua
17. “It takes a certain type of man to become a boxer, to fight for a living. To be able to have the confidence to hit another man, to control your fears. You must overcome the physical aspect and believe in the art, the discipline of the sport. You need to study. You need to be smart.” Anthony Joshua
18. “The belt doesn’t represent me; it’s how you deal with people, how you represent yourself as a champion. The belt is a sign of a champion, but what makes a champion is the things I have just said.” Anthony Joshua
19. “What makes a champion great is how he dethrones the guy before him. Look at Mike Tyson against Trevor Berbick and how he crushed him. You have to rip the title away from him.” Anthony Joshua
20. “The mental is more important than the physical. You know, that voice in your head telling you to give up if it gets tough. That’s my main opponent – making sure that if your body wants to stop, your mind won’t let you.” Anthony Joshua
Need the motivation to be a winner in life, career just like Joshua (A.K.A AJ), learn more about him here
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