Fighting dey for Anthony Joshua “bloodline”, according to im cousin Raymond Ajakaye, wey dey live for one Nigerian town for Sagamu, di ancestral home of di Joshua family.
Evritin for di town dey expected to stand-still on Friday wen hundreds of pipo go gada to watch special screenings of di British boxer heavyweight contest against Cameroon Francis Ngannou – to hail di man dem see as dia personal pesin.
“E dey run for di family, all of us na tough pipo from my grandad, my uncles and im papa side,” Ajakaye tell BBC Sport Africa.
“We fight through a lot. Dis na wia I tink e get di [boxing] gift from.”
Located near Lagos for southwest Nigeria, Sagamu get a population of around half a million pipo.
Like di kontri as a whole, di population get many young pipo, dis one mean say many youngsters see inspiration for Joshua family heritage and im success for di ring.
Such na im impact, di town get im own Anthony Joshua Boxing Fan Club, wit thousands of followers on social media, dem also rename one street in honour of di 34-year-old Olympic and two-time world heavyweight champion.
“For many years di name of di road na Cinema Road but goment change am in recognition of Joshua achievements,” Ajakaye tok.
“We don set up office for here wey go become meeting point for all im fans.”
Di road no go only serve as meeting place for followers, plans dey in place to build gym to hunt for di next AJ.
Joshua love for Nigeria
Dem born Anthony Oluwafemi Olaseni Joshua for UK for October 1989 to Nigerian mother and father of Nigerian and Irish descent.
Although e don always fight under British flag, e spend part of im childhood for Nigeria, e attend boarding school, and di influence wey Africa, especially Nigeria get on am dey clear for all to see and hear.
Joshua get tattoo of di continent on im right shoulder, e also tattoo Nigeria border. Nigerian music icons like Burna Boy and Femi Kuti, son of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, bin don accompany am to previous ring-walks.
Dem dey show im fights on specially erected screens in front of di palace of di Akarigbo for Sagamu, di town paramount ruler.
“Joshua family dey popular for dis town. Im mama na from my domain and we dey related as cousins,” Osiberu tell BBC Sport Africa.
“AJ dey level headed and dey committed to wetin e dey do. E dey very humble and no dey allow im success to get to im head. Beyond dat, e love to connect wit im roots.
“We wish am di best and go continue to pray for am.”
Joshua visit di town three years ago afta di Covid-19 pandemic, e meet wit Osiberu and oda members of im fan club.
“All of us get strong connection, though we no dey meet regularly and e no dey too come house sake of im career,” Ajakaye explain.
“E be small pikin wey get plenty respect and dem bring am up well as e dey always respect im elders.”
Wen Joshua enta ring for headline bout, fight nights for Sagamu don become legendary.
Kayode Segun-Okeowo, president of Anthony Joshua Boxing Fans Club tok say e don become tradition for di town to come out to cheer on dia adopted son.
“Dem open di club for 2016 and we get large fan base for Anthony Joshua here,” e tok.
“We don organise live viewing events for most of im fights and organise victory parties for am.
“My expectation for im next fight dey positive. Joshua don defeat beta boxers. I no see how [Ngannou] go beat our own Anthony Joshua.”
Evri time Joshua get fight, di town of Sagamu dey hot. Friday no go dey different as boxing fans and non-boxing fans go gada to watch dia favourite son.
Di meeting between Joshua and Ngannou bring back long-standing sporting rivalry between Nigeria and Cameroon.
But for di pipo of dis region of Nigeria, di message dey clear – na only one winner fit dey.
