At the age of 24, Joshua is a three-year pro. A rising young contender at 118 pounds – ranked No. 7 by the IBF – he stayed very active with eight fights in 2016, four in 2017, and four in 2018. He has won 16 fights in a row since a draw and decision loss in back-to-back fights in late 2015.
He has had two fights scheduled for 10 rounds – he has been into the eighth round one time, but never past.
A lot of fighters have gimmicks or trademarks, something to make themselves stand out from the crowd. Joshua brings a pillow to his fights – for when he puts his opponents to sleep.
He told Fightnews.com how he got the idea: “James Smith was talking so much stuff before we fought. [note: on Mar. 10, 2017] I told him at the press conference I’m going to put him to sleep. He had a lot of people there since it was his hometown. My team came up with the plan to humiliate him. When I got to my hotel room, I kept telling my management team member Nathaniel Gallimore that I was going to put Smith to sleep. We together came up with the pillow idea.”
Joshua’s pillow has been put to good use – he knocked out Smith in the sixth round that night, and six of his seven fights since then have also ended with knockout wins.
In his last fight on December 14 in Corpus Christi, Texas, he won by seventh-round TKO against Daniel Lozano.
ESPN.com’s Steve Kim reported [excerpts]: Bantamweight Joshua Greer continued his impressive rise up the ratings at the America Bank Center as he scored a 7th round TKO of Daniel Lozano (15-5, 11 KOs).
The flashy native of Chicago was simply too fast and slick for Lozano throughout the night.
He out-boxed Lozano early on and then buzzed him the 5th round with a right hand, and in the 7th after Lozano was knocked down with a three-punch combination at the end of the round. His corner waved off the fight before the 8th. [End Kim item]
In his post-fight interview, Joshua said, “I got a great a team behind me. We ended the year big. This is only the beginning. Next year, we’re doing big things!”
Joshua signed a promotional contract with Top Rank in August, 2018, and is co-promoted by Antonio Leonard. Joshua said in a press release, “It’s a great opportunity and a dream come true. I’m ready to show the world who I am. There are different levels in boxing and with Top Rank, I feel like they can help me become a world champion and give me the exposure I want. Don’t blink!”
In an earlier interview, Joshua said, “One thing about me – I’m in the gym all year round. I never go idle out of the gym. After a fight, I’m usually back in the gym the next following Monday. I don’t take any breaks. I stay focused and keep my career strict.
“My style – it’s like I’m in front of you bringing the pressure, but I’m a boxer, too. So, I’m more like a boxer-puncher.
“I’m not fighting for just one fight. I’m fighting for my legacy and to get better over time. At that moment, I’ll take the task at hand, but I’m training for my whole career.”
Regarding his nickname, he said, “I got the name because I fought this guy and I knocked him out in like, the first 15 seconds of the fight. [note: Antwan Robertson, Aug. 26, 2016 – it was actually 24 seconds of the 1st round] This person was like, ‘Man, I blinked and the whole fight was over! I missed the whole fight!’ Then everybody just started calling me ‘Don’t Blink.’ ”
AMATEUR, PERSONAL BACKGROUND: Joshua said, “I was born and raised in Chicago. I just have one little sister. I was raised by a single mom. She’s a phlebotomist – she draws blood in the medical field. My father is deceased. He was actually killed when I was six months old. My dad and uncles, they were fighters. In Chicago, you have to fight. It’s a rough city. But they would just fight on the street and stuff, no boxing. They never went to a gym and stuff like that.
“I started boxing at 15. I kept getting in trouble on the streets and my mom, she worked a lot and she had to go to school to be able to take care of us. She couldn’t spend a lot of time with us. She worked like, two jobs and went to school at one time, so she was never home. I was just kind of in the streets and messing up and stuff like that. One week, I just kept getting in trouble back-to-back with the police and everything. My grandmother was like, ‘You need to find something to do with your time,’ and my mom said, ‘Either karate or boxing.’ There was the Harvey Boxing Gym down the street from my house and I’m like, ‘You know what? I’ll try boxing.’ Once I started, I just instantly got addicted. It changed my life around and I’ve been in the gym ever since.
“I had 60 amateur fights. I only lost three. I won the 2012 Chicago Golden Gloves. I didn’t compete in the nationals.
“I’m naturally right-handed.”…
AMATEUR HIGHLIGHTS:
2012 CHICAGO GOLDEN GLOVES – Chicago, Illinois, 119 pounds/novice division – GOLD MEDALIST [incomplete results]: in the finals on 4-13-12 he won a decision against Ariel Bello…
The Chicago Tribune’s Bob Mutter reported from ringside: The Novice 119-pound championship went to Joshua Greer, who used an impressive body attack to wear down Ariel Bello. Greer also threw in a handful of effective uppercuts, which most amateurs don’t throw with much authority. [End Mutter item]
STRENGTHS: Has good skills, speed, and movement…has good punching power…
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: 21 fights…101 total rounds…
AVERAGE LENGTH OF BOUTS: 4.8 rounds…
KNOCKOUT PERCENTAGE: of total fights – 52 %…of wins – 57 %…
DISTANCE FIGHTS: 10 rounds – 0…8 rounds – 1 (1-0)…7 rounds – 1 (1-0)…6 rounds – 9 (8-0-1)…
