Anthony Joshua doesn’t want son to take up boxing
Joshua acknowledged that it was around this time he recognized the importance of having more profound conversations with his family.
Outside of his boxing career, AJ is widely recognized as a fiercely private individual who prioritizes family loyalty above all else.
Growing up among seven siblings, he split his time between his mother’s and father’s homes.
In various interviews, Joshua affectionately spoke about his mother, Yeta Odusanya, and his son, JJ.
Early in his career, he secured a home for his mother, emphasizing, “Being a man means ensuring your parents are cared for too. True freedom is knowing my mum is happy and taken care of wherever I am.”
Joshua emphasized that he has always shielded his family from the world of boxing, asserting his roles as a father and son take precedence.
Regarding his son potentially following in his footsteps, Joshua expressed a different vision for JJ, preferring him to excel in whatever path he chooses: “I don’t see that life for my little JJ. I want him to be the best man he can be.”
During an interview on Desert Island Discs, Joshua reiterated his unchanged perspective on JJ’s future, advising him simply to pursue excellence in whatever he decides to pursue.
“If I was to choose [a career] for him, I would ask him to probably look at accountancy because I think it’s good to understand numbers,” he said.
But what about his own future? Does he plan to retire?
There are no plans for retirement yet, but he said that when he eventually leaves the sport he would like to start a care home for retired boxers with poor health.
“That would be part of my boxing legacy, that I gave something back to the sport that made me,” he said.
“I know I’m not going to be in the hot-seat for all my life, so I have to make smart decisions while the iron’s hot.”
