In a surprising departure from his own career, renowned heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua has expressed a desire for his eight-year-old son, JJ, to pursue a career in finance rather than following in his footsteps in the boxing ring.
During a revealing conversation on Desert Island Discs, Joshua, 34, shared his thoughts on the future he envisions for his son. “I don’t think it’s a wise decision [to follow in my footsteps],” Joshua remarked. “If I was to choose for him, I’d ask him to probably look at accountancy because I think it’s good to understand numbers. So when you have that kind of insight, you can now become an entrepreneur and invest in business. I want him to focus on business.”
Joshua, celebrated as one of the UK’s premier sports icons, emphasized the importance of being a dedicated father and separating his professional life from his personal one. He explained, “He is cool. He gets it. I have always kept boxing out… So he gets that. He knows that I’m just dad.”
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The boxer revealed a transformative experience that deepened his appreciation for family relationships. He spent five days in complete darkness to escape the pressures of his career, which he discussed with the Daily Mail. “I went in Monday and came out Friday,” Joshua recalled. “When I was in the dark room, there was that feeling where I was like, I just need to have more meaningful conversations, a bit more time that I can spend with my mum, my dad, my aunty, uncle, sisters. ‘How are you?’ Not what is going on. How are you feeling? Let’s go on a walk and catch up. It just kind of brought home what is important.”
Joshua also spoke about the possibility of retiring within the next few years, citing the inherent dangers of boxing as a significant factor. “Someone asked me the other day when am I retiring, and I was like, in about two years,” Joshua said. “I was thinking to myself, as a fighter, you should say I don’t even think about retiring. I don’t think about my health. All I want to do is conquer. That’s the true warrior spirit. But naturally, in your quiet moments, in your dark room, you have time to think. I do wonder and I do say to myself after all of this is said and done, the one thing I would hope for the most is to keep my health intact. It’s your health that is the most important thing that you’re putting on the line.”
Joshua pointed out that fighters often avoid discussing the long-term impact of the sport on their physical and mental health. “None of us fighters talk about our health after. We can notice it in fighters when their health is deteriorating, but we never actually talk about it amongst ourselves. All we focus on is winning.”
Looking ahead, Joshua revealed plans to support retired boxers facing health challenges by opening a care home. “That would be part of my boxing legacy—that I gave something back to the sport that made me,” he concluded.