Anthony Joshua: Boxing Star of Nigerian Origin to win BBC SPOTY Award

Anthony Joshua, 28-year-old Englishman boxer born in Watford, UK to a Nigerian mother Yeta Odusanya and a British father Robert of Nigerian and Irish descent has a very good reason to be happy a few days before his huge fight in Cardiff end of the month.

With a big match in the horizon against C. Takam in Cardiff A. Joshua comes to defend his titles in front of 70,000 spectacles. However, this is not the only challenge the talented boxer will face until the end of the year. According to the Betway Insider, the world champion appears to be one of the strongest favourites to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award.

BBC SPOTY is one of the most prestigious awards in the UK and has been handed out annually since 1954. “AJ is a very solid shot to be crowned this year’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year, and it looks unlikely that Takam will put a spanner in the works,” said Betway’s Alan Alger.  If he does so, Anthony Joshua would be the first boxer to win since 2007 and will take boxing alongside tennis, and only behind Formula One and athletics, as the most the most prolific winning sport in SPOTY history.

Anthony Joshua’s middle name is Oluwafemi, a common Yoruba name. There is also a map of Africa tattooed on his body. However, the world heavyweight boxing champion does not box under Nigerian colours as he was rejected by the respective committee in Olympics 2008.

What needs to be highlighted though is that Anthony Joshua is not the only favourite on this match. Cyclist Chris Frome and Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton are second and third favourites respectively.

Ceremony will be live on BBC One on 17 of December.