Anthony Joshua has said he is considering opening a care home for retired boxers with health problems.
I spoke to Lauren Laverne on Sunday’s episode of BBC Radio 4 Desert Island Drivesthe former world heavyweight champion said he discussed issues facing former fighters with his former boxing coach, John Oliver.
“They are suffering themselves, so we talked about opening a care home,” Joshua said. “That would be part of my boxing legacy – giving back to the sport that made me.”
The 34-year-old boxer reflected on the dangers of his sport. “The only thing I hope for is that my health remains intact. Because the most important thing you are risking is your health,” he said.
“We notice it in fighters when their health deteriorates, but we never actually talk about it among ourselves. All we focus on is winning.”
Joshua described how boxing helped him change his life as a teenager. He was born in Watford and spent part of his childhood at a boarding school in Nigeria.
It was during his teenage years, back in Britain, that Joshua had run-ins with the police and was eventually banned from Watford city center for fighting. “I started getting into trouble – I wanted to make money in business,” he said. When Joshua was seventeen, his mother moved to London and he started selling drugs: ‘I was a bit homeless. I moved to a hostel.”
His cousin Ben introduced him to Finchley Amateur Boxing Club. “I’m really glad I found boxing; it has changed me so much,” he said. “You can change your life if you focus.” Three years later Joshua competed in the Olympic Games. This August marks 12 years since he took home a gold medal at London 2012 with a win over Roberto Cammarelle. The Olympic training was “really tough,” he said, telling Laverne that the psychological pressure can be great, especially when it comes to defeat. “I broke down when I lost before.” He revealed that he once spent five days in a dark room to help “heal” himself.
Joshua added: “That’s why I love music. For me, music can always set the tone for what I am trying to achieve.” His eight songs include the classic boxing anthem Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger, which Joshua often trains to, and Stormzy’s Shut Up, an earlier ring walk song.
Joshua said he puts energy into the business side of boxing to ensure a secure retirement. Asked by Laverne about his decision to play big-money matches in Saudi Arabia, which has been criticized for its poor human rights record, he said: “I’m there to box. I don’t get involved in politics.”
His son, JJ, is eight. Joshua hopes he doesn’t follow him into boxing. “If I had to choose, I would ask him to look into accountancy.”