Only nine years on from first stepping through the ropes at Finchley Boxing Club, Anthony Joshua is the unified heavyweight champion of the world.

On April 29, in only his 19th professional fight, the 27-year-old rose from the canvas to stop the great Wladimir Klitschko in front of 90,000 fans at Wembley Stadium.

As Joshua prepares for the next chapter in his record-breaking career, Sportsmail visited him at his first amateur gym to get inside the mind of the man spearheading a golden age in British boxing.

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Sportsmail visited Anthony Joshua at his first amateur gym, Finchley Boxing Club in London

The 27-year-old is the unified heavyweight world champion after only 19 professional fights

Joshua lifted the lid on life outside the gym and how he wants to be remembered after boxing

It’s now more than four months on from your victory over Wladimir Klitschko, how do you reflect on that night at Wembley?

When you match people with ability and both fighters are both trained by good trainers and have gone through the system, I think then it just comes down to character – who has the most spite, who is willing to dig deep.

It went to the trenches and I think what that fight represented is that boxing is a sweet science but sometimes you can only fight with your heart. The sweet s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s go out the window when everything you do is being counterpunched. So it just became about heart and I think that’s what people want to see, that entertainment.

Where do you believe that heart comes from? Were you born with it or is it something you developed in or out of the ring?

I think you develop it because we’re all born as little kids. I found out in a fight on April 29 what I’m about. You only find out when you’re put in the situation. Sometimes you can’t come back but people still carry on.

But at that moment, I decided I want to carry on. At that time it was crucial to carry on and I found it in me to get the win.

The undefeated Joshua rose from the canvas to beat Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley in April

The 27-year-old is at the top of the sport, only nine years after first lacing up a pair of gloves

You’ve since enjoyed a bit of time out of the ring, so what do you enjoy doing when you’re not in camp?

I just get organised. I spend so much time in the gym – Monday to Friday I’m in the gym and weekends I’m tired so I’m chilling. So I don’t have time to do anything.

Let’s say you have to pay a bill or go to the bank or go shopping, I’m in the gym from first thing in the morning until the evening so it’s just about trying to find a way to stay on top of everyday life things really and that’s it.

So what does a day in the life of Anthony Joshua look like outside of the gym?

Just staying on top of life, I swear. I spend so much time in the gym that I’m not by my phone for hours, I’m not doing my errands for hours so when I get out it’s like: ‘All right, (I can do) the one or two things, little to-do lists.’

But it’s nature, isn’t it? We like to get things done, so I just try to attack these little things on my to-do lists. Even if it’s just going to see someone that I haven’t seen in ages, or sending a message, simple things like that.

Joshua receives instructions during a gym session from esteemed trainer Robert McCracken

When you are training, your life and your diet is strictly controlled. Is there anything you particularly enjoy eating when you have time off?

I don’t look at a menu when I’m out of camp, I just order a burger and chips. It’s always simple, good food – a bit of apple crumble, ice cream, stuff like that.

Because when you’re in camp, you really do lock yourself down. Fighters do go into that mode where they just switch off from everything and it’s just (about) preparing for the fight ahead. You know you have 12, 10, eight weeks to get ready for it. So you’re doing everything possible to leave no stone unturned.

Continuing on the food theme, if you could invite three guests from any era to a dinner party, who would you ask?

Oh my… Probably a pharaoh from the Kemet times. Egypt was the name that was given by the Romans, before it was named Egypt it was called Kemet so I’ll have someone from those times, a pharaoh, I’m not too sure of the name. I think his name was Osiris.

The Briton revealed that when when he is not in the gym he tries to keep on top of everyday life

Joshua said former heavyweight king Muhammad Ali would be a guest at his dinner party

I’d sit down with Jesus because he was a real human, do you know what I mean? And who else would I sit down with? (Long pause) Muhammad Ali… because he was a man of religion so he prepares for the life after death and though he wasn’t born Muslim, he would have an open mind.

When he died he had Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Jews all at his funeral and they all gave a speech. So you can see he was an open-minded man to embrace different thoughts and different religions.

After only 19 fights you’ve reached the top of boxing. But what did you want to be when you were growing up?

I wanted to be a fireman or something like that. It’s exciting — the sirens — but that was when I was about six.

You didn’t take up boxing until 2008, so as a kid did you play other sports?

Yeah definitely. I’m active and, you know what it is, at school when you’re young, you’re full of energy and teachers make you sit down for so long. So kids that are filled with more energy and life than other kids are called the naughty kids. But they’re not, they’re just creative, they’re active.

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The 27-year-old, who has won all of his 19 professional contests, only took up boxing in 2008

Joshua, who played a number of sports as a youngster, enjoys a bit of tennis with Andy Murray

So I used to use sports to sometimes get out of class and do my activities. So I would do cross country, 400 metres, 100m runs, representing the school at county championships. I played a bit of football, tried a bit of shot put, javelin, anything to get some time out of the class, rugby… but if there was any, I think I could have continued with football or running before boxing.

Your life changed forever when you walked in here. What are your first memories of Finchley Boxing Club?

I remember sitting on the edge, watching all the boys train and thinking ‘pfft, I could do this, this looks easy’. (But) when you first come boxing, you don’t just come in and automatically start throwing 10-punch combinations on the bag. You stand in front of the mirror and you throw a jab, bring it back. You learn the basics.

But it was a circuit afterwards that 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ed me and I thought to myself: ‘If I’m not even doing the boxing yet and the circuit is 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ing me, I have a long way to go.’ But it was the first time I was on my own.

All the other sports, I was good enough to have a bad day but still get the result. With boxing, I wasn’t good enough to have a bad day. So anytime I was an inch out, I would learn the hard way in the gym with my coaches or in the ring sparring.

The heavyweight king hits the bag during his training camp for the fight against Klitschko

When he first entered Finchley Boxing Club, Joshua thought: ‘I could do this, this looks easy’

So it was like this: Either you want to do it and give it your all, or you don’t. There is no in-between because you get found out. So it took a bit of time but I started getting rid of all the bad habits. I kept on working at it and then I was entertaining the better habits that would benefit me in the boxing gym.

Because I know I have to come here on Monday, I know I have to come here on Wednesday, I know I have to come here on Friday. So it’s just about predicting what you’re going to do throughout the week to make your life easier when it comes to boxing.

Was there one session, one fight or one tournament when you realised you could do something in this sport?

Nah. Even after the Olympics (in 2012) I knew I still needed experience. So it wasn’t a situation where I was thinking: ‘Yeah I’m ready to turn pro’. It took me a year to turn pro because even now I don’t think I’ve reached my peak.

Think about it this way: I was supposed to be going to the Rio Olympics in 2016, if I was to qualify. I was a 2016 hopeful and some of the boys (who fought there) haven’t had a pro debut yet (or) they’ve had one fight. I have unified (the division). So I was not ready to turn pro then, I was like: ‘Nah, I need experience’.

Only four years after taking up the sport, Joshua won gold at the London Olympics in 2012

But the 27-year-old claims he still needs to ‘fine tune’ and ‘spend a bit more time in the gym’

So it’s only now I’m starting to come into myself, where I know I’m going to start getting better now. I’ve gone through the experience, I have learnt how to jab, right hand. Now I just need to fine-tune it and spend a bit more time in the gym.

Even though we have achieved a lot, as time goes on it’s only now I have started realising that I can become one of the great athletes of Great Britain.

Is that what motivates you? What is the one thing that above all else drives you in boxing?

Legacy.

Why? How would you like to be remembered?

It’s up to the people. Everyone individually is important but there are so many people that have helped along the way so you can go through everyone and help everyone the best way you can. Everyone needs a bit of support so that’s what I want to be remembered as: Someone who doesn’t forget.

Looking back over the rich history of heavyweight boxing, if you could fight anyone from any era, who would it be and why?

Klitschko. That was a sick fight.

Joshua claims his former foe Klitschko is the one fighter of any era he would choose to fight

But he admitted he would love to fight the likes of (L-R) Riddick Bowe and Evander Holyfield

What about other greats, like Ali or Joe Frazier?

(Evander) Holyfield or Riddick Bowe because those type of fights I like, they were just like the Klitschko fight.

Ron Lyle-George Foreman (in 1976) was the same kind of fight as the Klitschko fight so I would definitely like to fight the likes of those guys but because I have experienced it, I wouldn’t change it for the world, that was a good scrap.

So I would fight Klitschko again, that’s why I was ready to rematch him because I like fights like that.

Boxing fans only see you under the lights on fight night. But is there any any aspect of training you particularly don’t like?

There are two things I can’t stand. When I’ve done 15 rounds on the bag and I think: ‘Oh right, perfect, that’s me done’. And then the coach says ‘one more, one more’.

Then after that he says to get in the ring, it’s not easy when you’re shattered. Then he says: ‘Josh you can go home on Friday, you’ve done well, you have had a tough week, we’ll have a light session’. But then Friday comes and he says: ‘You don’t mind staying do you? You can stay later and we can have a session’.

So I don’t have a life, I’ve planned everything for Friday — my whole schedule — because I know this is my one day. And then it’s got to be dedicated to boxing again.

The 27-year-old claims his commitment to training in the gym means he ‘doesn’t have a life’

But Joshua believes it’s all worth it because there is a ‘fine line between winning and losing’

It’s just boxing, boxing, boxing, boxing, boxing. But then you have to do these things to go to that next level. Even in that Klitschko fight, it’s all great being champ. But it’s a fine line between winning and losing so you have to do those little extra bits.

You’ve now reached boxing superstardom. But is there anything that has shocked you about being unified heavyweight champion?

It isn’t about superstardom, this is a gladiator sport. I don’t think I’m like a celebrity, I’m not in a role, this is real life! It’s spit and sawdust. It comes with the trappings of success but remember this is a gutter sport where you have to go to the trenches.

So don’t get too comfortable in your tailored suits and the admiration you get when you walk down the street. Because when you step into that ring, if I get banged out in my next fight no one is going to be patting me on the back.

So you have to remember where you come from and where you started.

‘This is a gladiator sport. I don’t think I’m like a celebrity, I’m not in a role,’ Joshua claimed

He believes fighters need memorable nights and rivalries such as Ali’s battles with Joe Frazier

Speaking of defeat, would you rather retire undefeated or be one-half of one of boxing’s famous rivalries but risk taking a loss?

Everyone loves a winner, there is nothing like winning. I could tell you now: ‘Yeah, I would love a rivalry’. But losing drives people mad, some people to quit. I don’t know how I could face losing.

It is great to have iconic nights, I can name fighters – and I’m not going to – who have had careers but you can’t pick out their memorable nights, they just won. You need those Ali-Frazier (rivalries), they are fights that go down in history so you do need those.

But even if I was going to go through that I would still like to come out a winner because everyone loves a winner.

Joshua has backed Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez to beat Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin on September 16

The heavyweight champion believes Alvarez, 27, will soon ‘be one of the fathers in the sport’

One potentially memorable fight coming up is Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez vs Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin on September 16. Who wins and why?

I hope Canelo wins, not that I don’t like Triple G. I have just been riding with Canelo for a long time.

He’s 27 and the man has achieved so much and he’ll be one of the fathers. He’s still a 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢 but he’ll be one of the fathers in the sport, give him another 10 years. He’ll be around for a long time and I think he’ll do great things for the sport.

So I have been riding with Canelo for a long time but it’s going to be a tough fight because Triple G is from Kazakhstan, he has the good foundations of a boxer. But so has Canelo, so I’ll put my money on him.