ANTHONY JOSHUA is known for his hulking physique and Adonis-like appearance. But he didn't always have a lot of muscles.
It's difficult to believe that the former champion in unified heavyweight was once your normal skinny kid.
Anthony Joshua is well-known for his muscular physique
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Snaps taken by AJ, 12, during his time at a Nigerian boarding School show how thin he was before he started his sporting journey.
Joshua began training for athletics over many years and eventually started boxing with the help of Ben Ileyemi, his cousin.
He also had an impact on his body through the intense strength and conditioning training he did in addition to his boxing.
Joshua was unrecognizable from the bean pole kid who attended the Mayflower Boarding School, Ikenne, when he made his pro debut at age 18.
He spoke out about his time in boarding school during a Vogue interview.
"Really tough. No nonsense. No nonsense. Education is: 'I want to be a doctor, or a lawyer.’ There's no YouTube.
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"It's not all that. It's either a doctor or a lawyer, plain and simple. Education is very important in Nigerian schools, especially in boarding schools.
Later, he added, "Discipline. So tomorrow through your error, you're never going to make it again. That's why I believe that mistakes are good."
His many-talked-about career has seen his transformations continue.
AJ weighed a career heavy 18 stone in October 2017, his victory over Carlos Takam. However, AJ lost a lot of weight two years later when he was preparing for the rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr. He weighed 16 stone and 13 pounds.
However, he did gain some weight for the ill-fated defense against Oleksandr Uzyk last September. He weighed in at just a little over 17 stone.
The Watford warrior is currently training for a crunch match with the Ukrainian southpaw. They put on an impressive show in their Tottenham tussle.
The fight was originally scheduled for late March, but it is now being planned for April.
Eddie Hearn, promoter of the fight, recently stated: "I believe April is realistic for that fight.
"Before it's too late, it will be February. These fights require a lot of organizing.
"For us, the UK is the best date and venue to fight that fight. In that case, we would need to fight outside. So we are not interested in fighting in March.
"AJ has been training solidly since the fight.
"Realistically, if you begin your training camp in February it becomes very tight even though April is the best date for the fight. However, that's the preferred date and I believe that's realistic."
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