Anthony Joshua has been named as the world’s most marketable athlete by the sports industry magazine, SportsPro.
The IBF and WBA world heavyweight champion displaced the Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry at the summit, with Manchester United midfielder, Paul Pogba, in third.
Joshua’s ascent comes after the highlight of his young career to date, a thrilling and successful title defence against Wladimir Klitschko in front of a crowd of 90,000 at Wembley Stadium in April.
The 27-year-old, who has lucrative commercial partnerships with the likes of Beats Electronics and sportswear brand Under Armour, is now in line to become heavyweight boxing’s first bona fide global star since Mike Tyson’s emergence in the 1980s.
This year’s list therefore omits the likes of Usain Bolt, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who were each considered to have reached their commercial peaks after years at the pinnacle of world sport.
Despite Messi and Ronaldo’s absence, football is well represented, with Pogba, Barcelona forward Neymar and Chelsea winger Eden Hazard all present.
The Tottenham Hotspur pair of Dele Alli and Harry Kane are also named in SportsPro’s top 20, ranking 13th and 20th respectively.
– Bowale Odutola