CHAMP Anthony Joshua’s stunning heavyweight win catapulted him towards boxing’s billionaire bracket — but he hasn’t forgotten the bill at his local laundrette.
The British ring sensation pocketed £15million from his thrilling victory over Wladimir Klitschko.
And the grounded star, 27, joked afterwards that he would use the windfall to settle his £120 bill at the laundrette in Golders Green, North London, where he still takes his washing every week.
Joshua, whose 11th round stoppage of Klitschko was watched by 90,000 fans at Wembley and drew a record number of Sky Box Office views, was asked if he was ready to be greeted there by queues of adoring fans.
He said: “First off, I’ve got to pay my bill.
“It’s very big.”
He added: “Am I ready for that?
“I’m a people person.”
Down-to-earth boxer Joshua has been tipped to become a bigger earner than David Beckham.
Joshua already has a string of high-profile sponsors — with plenty more queuing up to sign him.
But one of his first business transactions after his epic 11th round victory will be a £120 payment to his local laundry.
The shrewd businessman, who received £15million and a whopping black eye from the world title bout, added: “When I first started my career my aim was to become a millionaire.
“I need to be a billionaire.”
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Sports promoter Barry Hearn predicted Joshua will rake in more than Beckham — and could definitely earn a billion.
Hearn said: “He’s already a wealthy man.
“He could easily be the first billionaire in boxing.
“He’s still young.
“At 27 he has at least ten years ahead of him in the ring and if he keeps winning the money will keep coming.
“His commercial potential outside the ring is huge, way beyond Beckham and the world’s top footballers.
“He has a much bigger cross-over in terms of potential.
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“Beckham and players like him are global brands and Anthony Joshua is already up there now.
“With modern marketing techniques he could go to another level.
“You have to keep boxing and you have to keep winning so it’s not easy but you have the platform to be something really special.”
Joshua, who shot to fame after winning Olympic gold in London in 2012, is CEO of his own company and has a team of accountants and lawyers to look after his deals and investments.
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He is a brand ambassador for luxury car maker Jaguar Land Rover which last week gave him a unique £150,000 Range Rover SVAutobiography.
Apple use him to promote its headphone brand Beats by Dr Dre.
Other big names including Lucozade, Lynx and Sky Sports are also all signed up.
Piece of his mind
THE young champion has shown he’s got brains as well as brawn. Here is some of Anthony’s philosophy:
— Just set yourself a goal and try to stick to it. You’ll always end up better than where you started.
— Failure is not trying.
— You’ve got to do it for yourself. If you listen to the people who say you’re good, you’ll take your foot off the gas. If you listen to the people who say you’re rubbish, you’ll give up.
— It’s not just about inside the ring — a championship mentality is throughout life.
Hearn, head of Joshua’s promoters Matchroom, said: “I imagine there will be a queue of top brands wanting to sign him up.
“A lot of his existing sponsors will also be saying, ‘We don’t want to lose you. Let’s sit down’.
“This is big business.
“Anthony Joshua looks after his own business.
“He’s a very smart kid.
“We do his boxing but he has a very good team around him, which is another statement about how the modern game has changed.
“In the old days boxing promoters were slave traders.
“You’d buy a fighter and buy his forward shows.
“But, quite rightly too, boxers now have accountants and lawyers.
“Anthony Joshua in another life could have worked in the City — he just wouldn’t earn as much!”
Joshua, who was already worth £20million before Saturday night, has been inspired by former world heavyweight champ Mike Tyson’s own business empire.
Tyson, like Joshua, was an ordinary kid who became a multi-millionaire thanks to a talented team of trainers, PRs and promoters.
Joshua said: “They took him from troubled circumstances, put him in a boxing gym, and the team around him developed this kid.
“He became one of the most feared heavyweights that the world’s ever seen.
“It’s like manufacturing someone.
“So when I went into boxing, I saw that if I worked hard and surrounded myself with the right people, and dedicated myself, I could manufacture myself to become a good fighter.”
Joshua has a million followers on Twitter while his promoter Eddie Hearn — Barry’s son — has nearly 700,000.
Many of those would have been clamouring for one of the 90,000 seats at Wembley, costing between £40 and £2,000, or coughing up to watch on pay-per-view.
Hearn senior said: “We could possibly have sold 250,000 tickets for Joshua v Klitschko.
“Incredible figures.
“This is top-end business.
“I don’t know what the pay-per-view buys are but they are going to be significant, probably a new record.
“The previous record was 1.17million.
“I’m expecting this to go past that.”
But PR and marketing guru Mark Borkowski warned Joshua still has a long way to go before making a billion.
He said: “One fight doesn’t make a billionaire boxer.
“You have got to make it in America and you have to be taken seriously by fans there.
“He’d have to have a series of fights in Las Vegas or Madison Square Garden in New York — the whole shooting match.
“I’m sure it’s a dream for him and it’s great that we are all leaping up and down.
“It was an extraordinary fight.
“But it’s a long journey from here to being a billionaire.”
Mum's all thumbs
JOSHUA’S mum Yeta Odusanya was all smiles as she left her home.
She was pictured giving the thumbs outside the flat she shares with her son in North London.
Neighbour Rebecca Sobell, who lives close to Ms Odusanya in Golders Green, said: "They've lived here for years, they're lovely. "His mum is so proud. After the Olympics she lost her voice because she'd been cheering so much.
"Anthony is here a lot and he always makes sure to say hello to everyone."
Ali blazed cash trail
MUHAMMAD Ali earned an estimated £60million in the ring.
His top payday was a £6million fight with Larry Holmes in 1980. Lennox Lewis is thought to be worth £110million after smart property investments. Mike Tyson made £310million over his long career but ended up £30million in debt. Unbeaten champ Floyd Mayweather is worth £500million.
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