Anthony Joshua: Daily Routine

He fuels with sweet potatoes and steak, trains like it’s a fight every day, and still finds room for the occasional brownie.

On 1 June, 2019, in one of the biggest upsets in boxing history, 25–1 underdog Andy Ruiz Jr. walked into Madison Square Garden and knocked undefeated heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua off his feet. Several times.

The reigning champion managed to get back to his feet after each time, but after the last knock down, Joshua was clearly disoriented and unable to convincingly show that he was ok to go on. Referee Michael Griffin, having seen enough of the damage done, waved off the fight, handing Joshua his first loss in 24 fights.

The shock win for Ruiz instantly vaulted him into superstardom, and it wasn’t long before he was splashing over a $1 million on Rolls-Royces and Lamborghinis to celebrate his victory. Meanwhile, Joshua was on a self-imposed lock down with the sole focus to redeem his loss.

In an interview with The Guardian, he compared the lock down to his younger, wild days, “I had a major court case and I prayed: ‘God, if you give me a second chance at life I will make all the changes in the world.’ When I beat that court case, I got into boxing and I focused. Same thing with Ruiz, give me a second chance at life and see what I can do. I just dedicated myself. I said I would put myself on a 15-year prison sentence to boxing and have that focus.”