Two months after suffering the first defeat of his career when he lost to Andy Ruiz Jr, Anthony Joshua was seen laughing as he received a new dose of ink at a London tattoo parlour.
The heavyweight powerhouse was adding the latest work of art to his body – and it proved a good omen when he avenged his setback against Ruiz by winning his titles back on points in Saudi Arabia in his next fight.
When Joshua fights in the country again on Friday (March 8, 2024), his task will be winning four straight, his next fight against former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. After successive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk, Joshua is ready to return to the top.
What are the meanings of the tattoos on Joshua's body and where on his rippling torso can you spot them during the scrap? Here's what to look out for.
WATCH: Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou, exclusively live on DAZN
Anthony Joshua neck and shoulder tattoo
Usyk is one of the few fighters who can match Joshua's Olympic pedigree. While Joshua was winning super-heavyweight gold on home soil at the London 2012 Games, the Ukrainian was earning top spot on the podium at heavyweight.
The Londoner was 22 at the time and was already regarded as one of the country's top amateur prospects, although that is often no guarantee of making an impact at world level.
He has a 'Wisdom' tattoo in the middle of the back of his neck - more on that later - and marked his formative time in Team GB by getting a tattoo of the team logo, featuring a lion, between his neck and shoulders.
"He'll go to the top," said Sean Murphy, Joshua's coach at Finchley Boxing Club, speaking to the BBC before the Games. "When he comes in the gym, he's not a star – he's just another boxer."
Joshua admitted at the time that he was "nowhere near the finished article," and he went one better than he did at the World Amateur Boxing Championships in Azerbaijan a year earlier, when he had to settle for silver by a solitary point.
When he provided a close-up of his Team GB tattoo in 2014, Joshua reflected: "As an amateur, I was hurt a few times in the ring as I wasn't experienced yet.
"I was competing with the best in the world at an early stage, yet the minor setbacks I suffered didn't stop me from wanting to achieve my dreams when people stopped believing in me.
"I kept on working on small things to give me a small opportunity to stand up to these super heavyweight boxers.
MORE: Who is Anthony Joshua’s new trainer? Derrick James and a history of AJ's coaches
"This is a picture of the development of my neck I took as I left the gym this evening. I learned the benefits of neck exercises from the great man I admire – Mike Tyson."
Anthony Joshua middle finger tattoo
Southgate Tattoo owner Viktar Tsyhanou and an international tattoo artist called Oscar were pictured embracing Joshua when he had his finger tattooed in August 2019.
The tattoo features a lion and a forest and is said to have partly been an attempt to cover up scarring caused by a career that has inevitably taken its toll on the tools of Joshua's trade.
The tattoo parlour shared a video of Joshua chuckling and joking as he had the work done to his middle digit on his left hand.
"Perfect – thank you, brother," Joshua could be heard telling his tattooist as the final touches were applied.
The proud artists said: "It was an honour to tattoo the champ, Anthony Joshua. Thank you for trusting us."
Anthony Joshua arm tattoos
Before his epic win over Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley Stadium in 2017, Joshua gave an insight into his shoulder tattoos while teaming up with the audio company headed by Dr Dre.
The rapper has offered personal support to the fighter in the past and Joshua used the opportunity to explain the artworks as part of promoting a set of headphones featuring the designs, which show an outline of Africa and the word 'Wisdom'.
“I always seek wisdom and knowledge, like the wise men from the Italian films and [1986 film] Wise Guys, all that stuff," he said of his tattoos on his right arm. "I’ve always sought it, so it had relevance and meaning to me.
“I learned more about my family’s history and I ended up getting an Africa tattoo underneath it. It was a nice combination to have 'Wisdom' and your heritage tattooed underneath, so it went well.
“I’ve actually got that tattooed on me as well in the middle of my neck. It’s shaped me in the sense that it’s been a blessing because I think I can talk to anyone; different backgrounds, cultures and religion because I’ve been exposed to so many different cultures. I think that’s a blessing that’s shaped me really well.”
Joshua's mother, Yeta Odusanya, is from Nigeria, and his father, Robert, is of Nigerian and Irish ancestry.
Whether the fighter known as 'AJ' succeeds against Franklin, it is not hard to imagine Joshua adding more pieces to his body once his first fight in the UK in more than 18 months is over.
