Everyone loves – and claims – the new world champ. But this winner has always identified with his roots
EVERYONE talks about the Anthony Joshua-Wladimir Klitschko April 29 World Boxing title clash as a classic. After that bout, Joshua annexed Klitschko’s WBA and IBO belts, to his own IBF belt.
But the admiration would appear less from the lawful savagery of boxing, of which the fight had its fair share: four knockdowns, one by the defeated Klitschko, three by the victorious Joshua, and the final one-sided flurry on the ropes, in the 11th round, that ended the fight by technical knockout (TKO).
It was rather more from the ennobling humanity of both camps. The Telegragh, a London newspaper, dubbed the fight’s build-up as “classy … minus the trash talk”. Even after the fray, both camps remained suave: the winner magnanimous, the loser gracious. That appeared some redemption for post-Muhammad Ali boxing in the heavyweight class, after the raw savagery and animalistic violence of the Mike Tyson years.
In boxing nationalism, Joshua has played the adorable British-Nigerian. Nigerian blood runs in his veins, being a descendant of a Nigerian mother, Yetunde and, as The Nation put it, “a British father of Nigerian and Irish descent.
But Britain offered him the technical nous to excel in a very scientific sport, where raw talent is never enough. It also offered him the doughty vessel to navigate the tempest of global boxing politics, from which players from Africa appear to stop short, no matter their humongous talents.
Many talk of a Nigerian “rejection” of Joshua, then an amateur, en route to the Olympics. That was true — but only partly so.
From the explanation of Coach Obisia Nwakpa, another boxing great who lost a WBC light-welterweight title fight to American Saoul Mambi in Lagos, Joshua arrived when trials had closed; and boxers had been picked. So, the “rejection” was done in good faith, not out of malice.
Still, it would grate not a few though that Joshua would proceed to win a gold for Great Britain in the next Olympics, thus paving his way to his latest glory.
But if there is any doubt about Nigeria’s “official” support, none exists whatsoever among his Sagamu, Ogun State, ancestral folks. In that town, Joshua’s fight was a communal affair. According to a report by The Nation, Yinka Mafe, a local parliamentarian, set up a 2,000-capacity viewing centre, where the locals watched the fight.
After, they are never shy of bragging: “World champion”. They are even less shy about his identity: Anthony Olufemi Olaseni Joshua, of the house of Prince Daniel Adebambo Joshua, the boxer’s illustrious grandfather.
Joshua himself misses no chance to proclaim his British-Nigerian heritage, letting out the now famous quip that the secret of his ring success was “pounded yam, eba and egusi”! The Ijebu love their unadulterated egusi soup perhaps more than any other in Nigeria!
The success story of Joshua speaks to many good traits: hard work, respect, humility, cool-headedness, focus and iron will, all crucial traits to make success out of life. All these, our youths must emulate. But the Nigerian state should also know that nurturing talent to global stardom is serious business.
Joshua himself must be painfully aware of the transience of fame. Now, he has the world at his feet, with a newspaper even speculating he has the chance of becoming the richest British boxer ever. All these are achievable, but only if Joshua maintains his character.
Meanwhile, all hail Nigeria’s King Joshua, heavyweight boxing champion of the world!