Anthony Joshua’s first opponent Emanuele Leo hasn’t stepped foot in a boxing ring since being knocked out by the Brit in 2013.
Leo came into the fight with an unblemished 8-0 record but was blasted out in the opening stanza by a vicious flurry from AJ.
The Watford powerhouse was in action for the first time as a pro after winning gold at the London Olympics one year prior.
However, Leo insists he knew nothing of his opponent when he accepted the call.
“I got to know boxing when I was 23 and I had never followed it before, and to be honest, I kept not following it,” he told Sky Sports in 2020.
“I loved practising the sport and understanding the difference between practising boxing and being a boxer.
“So when they told me about Joshua and The O2, I said yes, but in truth I was asking myself who is he? And where is it?
“I got to London and met Anthony, a really polite and gentle guy, but he had a host of professionals following him, including fitness coaches, masseurs, trainers etc…
“I didn’t enjoy the financial security that would allow me to train only.”
The crushing defeat opened Leo’s eyes to his ceiling as a professional and he chose not to compete again.
“I started boxing late and progressed very quickly, but I burned out in the last stage of my journey, as I finally understood the massive difference between boxing in Italy and in the rest of the world…
“Now I’m a steelworker and I’m in love, I feel good and I’m sure I can do better.”
Three years after beating in his professional debut, Joshua became a world heavyweight champion by snatching the IBF strap from Charles Martin via second-round KO.
He would later add the WBA and WBO belts to his collection by beating Wladimir Klitschko and Joseph Parker before dropping all three titles to Andy Ruiz Jr in a shock upset in 2019.
Joshua regained the belts in an immediate rematch but then lost them again to Oleksandr Usyk two years later.
The Brit was given another shot at heavyweight gold in September when he challenged the new IBF champion, Daniel Dubois.
However, Joshua was flattened in the fifth round and his next steps are now unclear.