x
PHOTOS
-
RUSSELL
PRITCHARD
X
n the 22nd of September 2003,
the British media took the
misguided step of trying to
destroy the adoration of a
nation
towards
a
single
sportsman. That sportsman
was Frank Bruno, and he had
just been detained under the
Mental Health Act to provide treatment for his, yet
undiagnosed, Bipolar Disorder. Headlines
included “Bonkers Bruno....”, which is a fairly
foul reflection on just what people who should
know better think about mental health - a
problem which still occurs today; the UK’s
most famous boxing journalist once referred a
couple of years ago to people with mental health
problems as “People who give me a laugh”.
Almost overnight, Frank Bruno’s reputation
went through a huge upheaval. And in this sport
reputation and the outward face you portray is
almost as important as what you do in the ring.
O
ANTHONY JOSHUA
THE HOUSEWIVES CHOICE BUILDING A BRAND!
028
NOVEMBER 2014
issue #14
But with the shift in the focus towards
Bruno (from sporting praise, to support and
admiration), there left a gap in the big man
market - which had never been filled since Frank
retired. Nobody stood taller than anyone else,
and no-one filled Frank’s shoes as “The great
3
-
WORDS
-
BEN
THOMSETT
UK hope”, the “Nice guy”, and as a safe pair of
hands to sell aftershave or holidays to Spain.
The lovable Heavyweight had disappeared
from the scene in this country. Until now...
I watched Anthony Joshua beat Dennis Bakhtov
at the weekend in a style which - if I try really hard
and use the English lexicon fully - was a case of
AJ “Smashing Bakhtov’s face in” and I thought:
here’s the new great UK hope for the punters,
you, me and, more importantly, the people
selling stuff. No wonder Eddie Hearn was
grinning even more widely than usual. Big Josh is
the media dream we thought we’d forgotten when
Big Frank struggled off the canvas and into Panto.
I like Anthony Joshua, both as a person, and
as a boxer, and it is this very likability which
won’t have gone unnoticed to the eyes and
wallets of the ad men. He’s a good looking,
clean (small cannabis charge excepted..) living,
Olympic Champion with a physique that stops me
looking in the mirror when I get out of the
bath in case I break down in tears. He’s also a
softly spoken, thoughtful, communicator, and
has done nothing but tow the Matchroom PR line
since he signed with them. In short, he plays the
game.....and he plays it well. And now the hype is
issue #14 NOVEMBER 2014
029