sport news Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou's humble beginnings as they prepare for ... trends now
Tonight's £55million blockbuster showdown between Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou may be the ultimate high stakes encounter, but both men have defied incredible odds to even make it into the ring.
Raised on a Watford council estate, Joshua became a household name after winning Gold at London 2012 - yet just two years before he was on remand in jail and facing a crushing 15-year sentence.
He would eventually be let out on an ankle tag, only to end up being charged for cannabis possession in 2011 and handed a 12-month community order before finally turning things around just in time for the Olympics.
Ngannou's story is even more extraordinary, with the 6ft 4in, 18-stone 37-year-old growing up in poverty in Cameroon before travelling to Europe as an illegal immigrant aged 26. He eventually made it to Paris, where he lived on the streets before a friend referred him to a local gym.
The pair go head to head in Saudi Arabia tonight in what is only Ngannou's second time in a boxing ring following his narrow and controversial defeat to Tyson Fury via split decision in October.
Anthony Joshua and his beloved mother Yeta, who he says he still lives with in her London home
Francis Ngannou entered Europe illegally after travelling from Cameroon before ending up homeless in Paris
The pair go head to head in a money-spinning heavyweight bout in Saudi Arabia tonight
Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou will meet in their much-anticipated fight in Saudi Arabia
Meanwhile, Joshua has been building himself back up following a double defeat to Oleksandr Usyk, with the Brit heading into this bout after successive victories over Jermaine Franklin, Robert Helenius and Otto Wallin.
The Watford-born star is the heavy favourite for this crossover fight, but as shown by his rival's performance against Fury, it is unlikely to be as simple as that.
Being the favourite in a multi-million-pound money spinner marks a remarkable change in fortunes for Joshua, who has overcome many hurdles on the path to stardom.
His sporting talent was always there, and it initially looked like football would be his path of choice before he became a bricklayer.
'I remember him turning up for about three training sessions under (coach) Richard Smith at the time,' a former team-mate shared in 2022. 'He was taller than everyone else, but skinny.
'He was really athletic and quick, definitely rapid. Skill wise, he wasn't amazing, but he was decent. He could go at people.'
Joshua has a rosier-tinted view of his achievements on the pitch, referring to himself as a '41 goals a season' striker in his playing days, and remains a committed football fan and player with friends.
Joshua became household name after winning Gold at London 2012 - but just two years before he was in prison
Joshua always looked like he would pursue a career in football before taking up boxing in his late teens
The boxer as a youngster - when he was already proud of his athleticism
By the time Joshua turned 18 in 2007, however, even semi-professional football was off the cards and the fighter was working as a bricklayer while he saw out college.
Joshua was thrust onto the national stage aged 22 when, at London 2012, he won one of Great Britain's gold medals at the Olympics.
Just a few years before that, though, he had experienced various run-ins with the police. Aged 20, having taken up boxing in his late teens, AJ found himself on remand in Reading prison.
He has been vague about the specifics of why, dubbing it 'fighting and other crazy stuff', but the sentence could have been significant and he was facing up to 15 years in jail.
He was let go with the caveat of having to wear an electronic ankle monitor and was handed a chance at boxing success, only to have been pulled over for speeding while donning a Team GB tracksuit in 2011.
A search of his kitbag found eight ounces of cannabis, and he was charged with possession with intent to supply, again finding his career hanging by a thread.
A guilty plea led to a 12-month community order and 100 hours of unpaid work to go with a suspension by the Olympic committee
