Rising Star Gets Surprising Praise From Anthony Joshua: "You've Got Something Special"

Ronald Crawley July 5, 2025, 6:10 a.m.
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Anthony Joshua, the 35-year-old heavyweight boxer, recently shared some words of wisdom with Leo Atang, an 18-year-old heavyweight making his professional debut. The veteran fighter offered encouragement and advice to the young prospect before his first pro bout.

Joshua's career began at the same age as Atang, 18, and quickly soared. He grabbed a gold medal at the London Olympics and became a world champion in just 16 professional fights. The British boxer went on to unify heavyweight titles and faced top names like Wladimir Klitschko, Joseph Parker, Andy Ruiz Jr, and Oleksandr Usyk.

Currently, Joshua finds himself without a belt and sidelined due to injury. He's planning a comeback later this year for what he calls "one last run" at the top.

Atang, on the other hand, is just starting his journey. The young fighter won gold at the World Boxing's Youth World championships and has shown a knack for knockouts. He recently signed with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom and will make his pro debut this Saturday.

Matchroom Boxing caught the interaction between Joshua and Atang on video. Joshua didn't hold back in his advice:

"Of course, you, I know you, man. You're going to be better than me. 18 years old? That's when I started boxing. You know what, it goes quick. Time never stops. What I mean by that is fu**ing put the work in. Watch it, study it, train, eat, breathe it, shadow box, think it. Have fun with it. But nothing beats winning in this game. Win at all costs. Go in there, train hard. Have that killer instinct. Knock these guys out. You get in there and knock people out, and people will love you. Let them know that no matter what you throw, I'm going to beat you."

Joshua stressed the importance of hard work, dedication, and developing a "killer instinct". He urged Atang to focus on winning and knockout power, predicting the young fighter will surpass his own achievements.

Atang will face Bulgarian Milen Paunov in a four-round contest for his debut. The fight will take place on the undercard of the Jack Catterall vs Harlem Eubank event at the AO Arena in Manchester.

With Joshua's advice ringing in his ears and a promising amateur career behind him, all eyes will be on Atang as he takes his first steps in the professional ranks.

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