Joshua: I can handle fame and fortune

Anthony Joshua insists he will not make the same mistakes as boxing’s bankrupt superstars as he prepares for the fourth defence of his IBF heavyweight title against late replacement Carlos Takam on Saturday.

Joshua’s earning p otential has ro cketed along with his profile since he emphatically announced his arrival on the world stage with his stoppage win over Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley in April. But ahead of his weekend fight in Cardiff, he is adamant he is well equipped to take fame and fortune in his stride.

Joshua said :“The[ Mike] Tysons, the Riddick B owes, the [ Evander] Holyfields, we all know their stories outside the ring and I have always wanted to manage that. We have been working on it for three or four years so it’s not much of a shock. If you sud- denly win the world title, all these opportunities can come your way. You feel like the man and you can lose track. We’ve been working on this from way before so I was prepared for it.”

Despite amassing ring earnings in excess of nine figures, Ty son declared bankruptcy in 2003. B owe followed suit two years later, while Holy field had to sell off his prized possessions to appease federal bankruptcy lawyers in 2012.