Globacom, Anthony Joshua and the Nigerian fighting spirit
After suffering a devastating defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr at Madison Square Garden six months ago, Anthony Oluwafemi Joshua, who boasted an incredible record of 21 knockouts from 22 fights before the beating, has settled his score with the Mexican-American, and earned a fortune in doing so.
Challenged by his loss of the WBA, WBO, IBF Heavyweight Championships to Ruiz, the Brit, who has Nigerian biological roots, recently produced a boxing masterclass in Saudi Arabia to become heavyweight king once again.
What’s more, Joshua did not only lose his brand equity in the ring six months ago, his defeat also robbed him of some ambassadorial positions in his portfolio of lucrative commercial endorsements. The former heavyweight champion had quickly become a profitable figure in his own right, striking deals with notable brands such as JD, Lucozade Sport and many others.
Back home, Globacom, a leading telecom giant, in February 2019 unveiled its new communication direction with an uplifting endorsement by Joshua, and the contract was reported to have covered Nigeria and Ghana.
In a TV commercial shown during the event, Anthony Oluwafemi Joshua drew parallels between himself and Globacom, saying “we have the fastest speed, longest reach and the Nigerian fighting spirit as game changers. Glo, I hail o!” he concluded by giving the “wakanda” salute.
Interestingly, in line with the Nigerian fighting spirit, Globacom, which wholeheartedly supported the boxer has applauded his latest victory. On its Instagram page, @globacomlimited, the telecom giant uploaded a 59 second video that reinforces the Nigerian philosophy of not staying down even after a setback.
“We don’t stay down, we get up and fight! With the tenacity of the Nigerian fighting spirit, we are game changers. Glo with pride,” reads Glo’s pay- off.
Boxing analysts estimated Joshua could double his networth to more than £100m. He is currently estimated to be worth around £42m by Forbes. And his huge earnings will not be the biggest in boxing history, as Floyd Mayweather holds that record for his £250m fight against Manny Pacquiao in 2015.
Next up for Joshua is likely to be a fight against Kubrat Pulev, but the one everyone will be hoping gets made at some point will be against either Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury, who fights in February for the WBC title.
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