The 2012 Olympic champion with nearly £100 million in the bank, revealed that he recently moved out and praised his mother, Yeta, adding that he stayed in his mother’s flat to ensure her well-being.
“I didn’t want to leave my mom alone,” he said on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs.
“I wanted to make sure that her foundations were strong—the nest was strong—so that when I leave, mom’s good. For me, that’s freedom. Knowing no matter where I am in the world, mom’s happy and taken care of.”
The British-Nigerian fighter will face fellow Brit Daniel Dubois on September 21 at Wembley Stadium in London for the IBF belt. This bout was arranged following the confirmation by current titleholder Oleksandr Usyk that he would vacate the world title.
Usyk became the first heavyweight to hold the IBF, WBO, WBA, and WBC belts when he defeated Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia last month. However, he was set to be stripped of the IBF title, with the body stipulating he must face its mandatory challenger, Dubois, to retain it.
Dubois, who beat Filip Hrgovic to become interim IBF champion earlier in June, said he is determined to dethrone the two-time world champion, Joshua. “That’s just what I’m aiming for—to be the best,” Dubois said.
“To fight the best and beat the best. Joshua has been the king for a long time. On the night, I need to become the king slayer. That’s my goal, and that’s the mission I have. I’m ready to let my fists do the talking. A hundred percent ready to go, train like a beast. So bring it on.”
Joshua, 34, was beaten twice by Usyk in 2021 and 2022, while the Ukrainian knocked out Dubois last year. However, Joshua is currently on a four-fight winning streak, enjoying three stoppages in his last three outings. It will be his fourth appearance at Wembley, though Dubois will be stepping out as a main event at the national stadium for the first time.
“Congratulations to Daniel for winning his last fight (against Hrgovic); I went to watch it live,” Joshua said.
“It was a good fight between the two of them. I picked Dubois to win as well; I watch boxing closely, and I picked him before. He came through, and we are here. I’ve been having Dubois on my mind for a while. He’ll be on my mind for the next 12 weeks until I’ve got my hand raised.