Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
DESIGN & CONQUER
Joshua used to visit Wembley to buy fake goods..now he’s going back there to prove he’s the real deal who can rule the world
GROWING up, Wembley to Anthony Joshua meant the vast Sunday market where he bought fake designer brands. Tonight it is where he aims to show the world he is the genuine article. Joshua found himself reflecting on his teenage years, hanging out with his cousin Ben Ileyemi, who introduced him to boxing, as he prepares to face Wladimir Klitschko in the biggest fight in British boxing history. The pair would trawl the market stalls, looking for Evisu jeans, Nike Air Force 1 trainers and especially Gucci belts. Joshua, who could earn up to £15million tonight, can well afford the real thing and he can barely believe his meteoric rise. “Where I have come from will always sit close,” he said. “Me and Ben were talking about it the other day and it’s crazy. Back in the day, Wembley to me meant hustling, the market, trying to get fake clothes, man. “This is where the market is. This is where we used to come and get our clothes and CDS. “I liked the jeans, the Evisu ones. They were like a statement pair of jeans, everyone knew they were Evisu. And Air Force 1s. They were about £20.” Just as the authenticity of that gear was suspect, so Joshua is being questioned before the biggest test of his career. The doubters feel just the 19th fight of his three-and-a-half year pro career is too soon to be facing such a seasoned fighter as Klitschko, world champion for 12 years before being dethroned by Tyson Fury in 2015. Joshua, 27, understands their reservations, but insists he is ready for such a huge challenge after stopping all 18 of his opponents. “It’s a step up and it’s soon because looking at the landscape, fighters are only stepping up after seven years,” he said. “It’s come soon. We’re aware of that, but I’m very capable. I’m very willing to show what I’m about at this level. I’ve been preparing for this fight since I turned pro, so even though it’s maybe come earlier than expected, I’m ready.” As part of his preparations Joshua planned to visit Wembley to familiarise himself with the route for his ring walk. He knows this is very different from boxing in front of a few thousand on the undercard of Carl Froch’s rematch with George Groves at the stadium in May 2014. “I wanted to do that because the ring walk is different this time,” he said. “It’s different to what I’m used to, so I just wanted to see everything.” The fight in front of a postwar record crowd of 90,000 and a worldwide TV audience of tens of millions will make Joshua a global star. And he is worried it may take him longer than usual to do his weekly service wash of training gear at his local launderette. “I’ve spent a quarter of the year in training camp, so I haven’t seen the hype,” he said. “Maybe afterwards I’ll go, ‘Wow’. Maybe when I go to the launderette, where I go every week, there will be people waiting outside. That’s when I may start noticing things and seeing what impact this is having.” So a decade after searching Wembley market for his favourite Gucci belts, Joshua is hunting for more tonight. “The best things I ever bought were the belts,” he said. And the WBA Super, Ring magazine and IBO straps would go very well with his IBF one.