Anthony Joshua has created a major rescue package for struggling amateur boxing clubs – and has backed the Daily Mail’s campaign to save the grassroots sport.
The unified heavyweight world champion has stepped up to make a ‘substantial’ financial donation to the sport’s national amateur governing bodies in England, Wales and Scotland amid serious fears that clubs will soon close because of the pandemic.
Joshua, whose life was transformed when he entered Finchley ABC as a problematic teenager in 2007, has also called on the government to do more to tackle the grassroots sport crisis.
The 31-year-old, who is edging towards a £200m showdown with Tyson Fury, revealed his decision to get involved in the fight to save amateur boxing was influenced last week by reading Sportsmail’s story on Britain’s oldest club, Repton, whose membership takings since March have been a paltry £140.
Joshua said: “We need to bring attention to the boxing industry and how important grassroots sport is.”
“I definitely think boxing gyms will go under (without help). It came to my attention when I read the article from Repton, about understanding the costs of what it takes to keep the gym open. Not only keeping the gym open, but the income they have made independently to keep going and it’s been really, really tough.
“There are clubs who are struggling even worse. That’s why I feel it’s important to bring attention to this issue. Without the amateur system, the grassroots clubs, there are no Olympians and without them there are no world champions in the country.”
Joshua’s life serves as an example of boxing’s power to reform individuals. In 2009 he was put on remand for ‘fighting and other crazy stuff’ and in 2011 he was suspended by the Great Britain squad after being caught by police in possession of cannabis.
Citing the influence of Finchley ABC, where he was trained by Sean Murphy, Joshua added: ‘Sean says I would probably have been doing time (if he hadn’t gone to Finchley).
“Honestly if the gym had closed… I remember I got kicked off the Olympic squad in 2011 and I gave up on boxing. I started going back to my local area, I started smoking again. Sean rang my mum and said, “Where’s your son? He’s messing around. Get him back here to the gym”.
“That shows how important it is not just to have the gyms open, but access to people from an older generation who can give me a sense of wisdom, a sense of belonging and guidance. That’s also important.”
Pointing to the government’s recent £300m rescue package for spectator sports, which overlooked boxing, Joshua said: ‘Hopefully this will raise the eyebrows of the people in power and next time they will put some money towards boxing. There was £300million given to sport and in grassroots sport, £3,000 makes a difference.’
Joshua’s comments came 11 days after he crushed Kubrat Pulev at Wembley Arena and with his proposed clash with Fury creeping closer. A 50-50 financial split is agreed in principle between the fighters, though the location and broadcasting arrangements are to be determined in what would be the biggest event in British boxing history.
Joshua, who outlined his intention to leave the sport when he gets to 38, was initially reluctant to discuss Fury after the Pulev win. But he is now striking a more bullish tone.
In recalling their famous 2010 sparring session, in which the more experienced Fury admitted he took ‘a beating’ from the amateur, Joshua said: ‘He said before that spar, “If you can beat me up or knock me out, you can have my Rolex watch”. I was hungry then and I am even hungrier now.
“It was a good spar. I didn’t really know too much, it was just passion. Now I have some boxing IQ and passion, I know it will be a great fight. There was a Rolex but now there is an even bigger pot of gold at the end of this rainbow and I want to take his head off his shoulders when that fight happens.”
He added: “If that fight happens I’m sure that I’ll win. How close are we? I promise you conversations are happening.”
