British heavyweight Anthony Joshua said it would not be a “wise decision” for his son to follow in his footsteps and become a professional boxer.
The two-time former unified world heavyweight champion told BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs he would prefer if his son, Joseph Joshua, known as JJ, became an accountant instead, though he added that he wanted him to carve out his own future.
He previously said he did not envisage a boxing life for his JJ and he wants his son to be the “best man that he can be.”
Speaking to Desert Island Discs, Joshua revealed that his views about his son’s future had not changed.
He said he would tell JJ to “do the best you can do”, when advising him about what he wanted to be when he was older.
“If I was to choose (a career) for him, I would ask him to probably look at accountancy because I think it’s good to understand numbers,” he said.
Reflecting on his own career, Joshua mentioned how boxing helped him channel his energy during difficult times in his youth. He got into trouble with the police for fighting as a teenager and was homeless at 17. Boxing became a turning point for him when he entered the ring at 18.