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==Early life==
Anthony OluwafemiGot Head Kicked everywhere Olaseni Joshua was born on 15 October 1989 in [[Watford|Watford, Hertfordshire]], the son of Yeta and Robert Joshua.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/boxing/2016/04/06/the-making-of-anthony-joshua/|title=From drug offences to heavyweight superstardom: The making of Anthony Joshua|author=Gareth Davies|date=6 April 2016|work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|access-date=14 November 2017|location=London|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114210050/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/boxing/2016/04/06/the-making-of-anthony-joshua/|archive-date=14 November 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> His mother is Nigerian, while his father is of Nigerian and Irish ancestry.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/19288636/anthony-joshua-stirs-emotion-nigerian-town-sagamu|title=Joshua stirs emotion in Nigerian town of Sagamu|first=Colin|last=Udoh|work=ESPN.com|date=1 May 2017|access-date=23 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180324041847/http://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/19288636/anthony-joshua-stirs-emotion-nigerian-town-sagamu|archive-date=24 March 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite news|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/boxing/thats-boy-anthony-joshua-joined-11431387|title=Anthony Joshua hails 'Big Josh' - the dad who gave champ his fighting spirit|last=Fricker|first=Martin|date=29 October 2017|work=mirror|access-date=23 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180324041602/https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/boxing/thats-boy-anthony-joshua-joined-11431387|archive-date=24 March 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Joshua's Nigerian background can be specifically traced back to the [[Yoruba people]], amongst whom he is of [[Nigerian Chieftaincy|aristocratic rank]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.pulse.ng/sports/boxing/exploring-anthony-joshuas-nigerian-roots-in-sagamu-id6738186.html|title=Exploring Anthony Joshua's Nigerian roots in Sagamu|last=Dede|first=Steve|access-date=23 March 2018|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180324041343/http://www.pulse.ng/sports/boxing/exploring-anthony-joshuas-nigerian-roots-in-sagamu-id6738186.html|date=26 May 2017|archive-date= 24 March 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.espn.com.au/espn/story/_/id/19263648/how-nigeria-rejection-led-anthony-joshua-rise-stardom|title=How Nigeria rejection led to Anthony Joshua's rise to stardom|author1=Colin Udoh|work=ESPN|date=28 April 2017|access-date=29 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170517160212/http://www.espn.com.au/espn/story/_/id/19263648/how-nigeria-rejection-led-anthony-joshua-rise-stardom|archive-date=17 May 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/boxing/2018/09/21/anthony-joshua-exclusive-untold-story-world-heavyweight-champions/|title= The untold story of Anthony Joshua's aristocratic Nigerian roots|last= Brown|first= Oliver|newspaper= The Telegraph|date=23 September 2018|archive-date= 23 December 2019|url-status= live|access-date= 23 December 2019|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20191223150523/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/boxing/2018/09/21/anthony-joshua-exclusive-untold-story-world-heavyweight-champions/}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> His cousin, Ben Ileyemi, is also a professional boxer. The pair made their professional debuts together in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|title=Joshua and cousin Ileyemi crack on at the York Hall|url=https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/boxing-joshua-cousin-ileyemi-crack-york-hall-112217835--box.html|first=Danny|last=Wright|date=16 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151223035220/https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/boxing-joshua-cousin-ileyemi-crack-york-hall-112217835--box.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 December 2015|publisher=Yahoo! Sport|access-date=22 December 2015}}</ref>
Joshua spent some of his early years in [[Nigeria]] as a [[boarding school]] student at [[Mayflower School]] in [[Ikenne]].<ref>{{cite web | url =https://www.thenewsguru.com/news-2/article/disciplined-greatness-mayflower-school-anthony-joshua-confesses/ | title =I was disciplined to greatness at Mayflower School – Anthony Joshua confesses | last =Falade | first =Olaotan | date =2 May 2017 | publisher =TheNewsGuru | access-date =24 January 2019 | quote =In 2002, Joshua joined his Nigerian mother Yeta in the African nation for six months at the age of 11 and attended Mayflower school, Ikenne founded by the late educationist, Dr. Tai Solarin. | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20190124203801/https://www.thenewsguru.com/news-2/article/disciplined-greatness-mayflower-school-anthony-joshua-confesses/ | archive-date =24 January 2019 | url-status =live }}</ref> Following his parents' divorce when he was 12, he returned to the UK halfway through [[Year Seven]] to join [[Kings Langley School|Kings Langley Secondary School]]. Growing up on the Meriden Estate in [[Garston, Hertfordshire]], he was called "Femi" by his friends and former teachers, due to his middle name, Oluwafemi. He excelled at football and athletics and broke his school's [[Year Nine]] 100 m record with a time of 11.6 seconds.<ref>{{cite news|last=Smith|first=Frank|title='Make the most of your time here' – Watford boxer Anthony Joshua speaks to pupils at Kings Langley school|url=http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/11268612._Make_the_most_of_your_time_here____Watford_boxer_Anthony_Joshua_speaks_to_pupils_at_Kings_Langley_school/|access-date=22 December 2015|newspaper=The York Press|date=10 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151223160259/http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/11268612._Make_the_most_of_your_time_here____Watford_boxer_Anthony_Joshua_speaks_to_pupils_at_Kings_Langley_school/|archive-date=23 December 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="watf">{{cite web | url=http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/olympics/local_news/9864305.Olympic_stars_back_Joshua_s_golden_quest/ | title=Audley Harrison and David Price believe Watford-born Anthony Joshua and Finchley ABC's can win Olympic gold | publisher=Watfordobserver.co.uk | date=9 August 2012 | access-date=12 August 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201173808/http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/olympics/local_news/9864305.Olympic_stars_back_Joshua_s_golden_quest/ | archive-date=1 February 2014 | url-status=live }}</ref>
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