Can we meet you sir?
Adedamola Joshua is my name.
What is your relationship with Anthony Joshua?
I am Anthony Joshua’s uncle, his father is my brother’s son. My brother’s name is Olaseni Joshua. You will also recall that Anthony Joshua also bears Olaseni as one of his names. You should see the connectivity now.
How often do you see Anthony Joshua?
Generally, we talk on phone, he is based in UK, he rarely comes around but we do communicate via phones and sometimes through emails.
The father is the one who visits regularly at least he visits more than twice in a year.
How does his victory against Vladmir Klitscho make you feel?
We feel so happy and elated in the family. We have been following all his fight, in fact, we collectively watch all his fights. We have been very supportive of his chosen career. Anthony has not only done our family proud, he has done Sagamu and by extension Nigeria very proud. Generally, we are known for academics in this family, the head of the family is a professor of veterinary medicine from the prestigious University of Ibadan although he is retired and now stays in United States of America.
I am a retired Construction Engineer too and we have many more academicians in this family.
What line of business is Anthony Joshua’s father into?
The father. Jonathan Joshua is into Merchandising. He imports goods into Nigeria, we sell and send money back to him. Sometimes he comes to Nigeria and does his business himself.
How often does Jonathan Joshua visit Nigeria?
He comes home more than twice in a year. Most importantly, Wale Jonathan his younger brother visits on a regular basis.
Anthony Oluwafemi Joshua is halfcaste likewise the dad, please tell us how they came about their white skin?
Jonathan is halfcaste and he got married to a pure black woman who also hails from Sagamu. Simply put, Oluwafemi Anthony Joshua is a full fledged Sagamu boy.
Please sir explain how the father came about his being halfcaste because almost everybody in the family is black?
His mother is English, she came from UK to head the school of nursing in Ijebu-Ode. She was a Nurse too.
Please sir shed more light?
Olaseni Isaac Joshua, Anthony Joshua grandfather was initially married to a Nigerian woman that bore him 3 children, later he travelled abroad and met this Briton, Moya they both came back to Nigeria to live and work.
Moya became the principal of the nursing school in Ijebu-Ode, she bore 7 children for Olaseni Isaac Joshua, one of them is Jonathan Joshua who happens to be Anthony Oluwafemi Joshua’s daddy.
Did Anthony Joshua get the support of the family when he was venturing into boxing?
Sure, we all rallied round him. In our family, we don’t discourage anybody. My own son is an Aeronautic Engineer, despite the fact that there is no such course in Nigeria, I still raised money to send him to Italy to study that course. Whatever anybody chooses to do we encourage, we don’t discourage at all.
It was speculated that Anthony Joshua once approached Nigeria but was rejected, how true is this?
It is not true at all, he never approached anybody in Nigeria. He has lived all his life in UK. He started his career over there.
I also learnt he came to school here in Nigeria
That again is false, he never schooled here. He was taken abroad as a baby.
Recently, he granted an interview where he said he likes Eba & Egusi?
This one is 100% correct, he is living with the mum who is a full blown Sagamu woman. You should expect her to prepare Nigeria dishes for him.
Does he have a girlfriend and from where is she from?
I wouldn’t want to dabble into her private affairs, but I know he has gotten a baby.
Is he officially married?
That again is private to him, all I know is I didn’t hear of any wedding bell.
Tell us about his mother?
I know her as Mrs. Joshua, and she has 2 sons for my nephew, Anthony and his younger brother.
Boxers are very vulnerable, sometimes they don’t end up well. What is your advice for him?
My advice is that he should follow the family tradition of doing things.
Would you encourage him to represent Nigeria if that is possible?
For me it is a no, because we don’t have infrastructure to support his course. However, it is his choice to make.
He tattoed a Nigerian flag on his body, what does that say?
Simple, he is very passionate about Nigeria. His loyalty is very unquestionable.
Did you watch that boxing match, if you did what went through your mind, did you ever think Anthony will win?
Thank you for this question. I was very scared, especially when he went down in the 5th round. We saw the match live at Ita-Oba here in Sagamu. Kudos must go to the youth of this community, they ensure that the bout was shown live.
Did you have the feeling he was going to win?
Personally I was very scared, especially in the 5th round when he got knocked down. Good for him he was able to revive himself. Truth is anybody can get beaten at anytime. Mohammed Ali the greatest was beaten on few occasions but he was able to revive and came back fully energised.
When would you advise he quits boxing, we all know what happened to Mohammed Ali?
I advise he quits boxing at age 35. Generally, it is not good for sports men especially boxers to fighting beyond 35 years of age. I wouldn’t want anyone to suffer Pakinson syndrome like Ali did. Vladmir Klitscho fought Anthony at 41, that is not the right age to fight.
Anthony Joshua is 27, are you saying he has 8 more years to go in boxing?
I didn’t say so, I only advised that he should quit at age 35 because fighting beyond that age doesn’t help boxers. Age would definitely tell on any one who fights from 36 and above.
Please tell us about the Joshua family, we learnt it is a big family?
Our father Adebambo Joshua was a great businessman who transacted business with the Europeans. He built our first family house on Akarigbo Street in 1922. Funny enough the house is still standing. He built many other houses here in Sagamu. Like you said the Joshua family is large and well known in Sagamu.
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