Meet Britain's Mike Tyson whose earth-shattering power rivals Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou

01/03/2024 11:34

Aloys Junior is Britain’s answer to Mike Tyson.

‘Iron Mike’ left a lasting legacy of destruction during his 20-year stint in the pros. The former undisputed heavyweight champion flattened his first 28 opponents and was one of the most feared fighters of his day.

Now, there is a British cruiserweight who looks set to be the second coming of Tyson – and his name is Aloys Junior.

The south London slugger demonstrated his raw power on a visit to the talkSPORT studios where he tried out the punch machine of which he now holds the record.

Junior hit a stunning score of 982 on the hanging bag to jump to pole position on our leaderboard ahead of heavy-handed heavyweight Johnny Fisher.

Despite his weight, Junior’s score rivals that of heavyweight titans Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou – who are set to fight each other – have both recorded punches in the 990s on other versions of the machine, commonly found at fairgrounds.

Anyone who has seen Junior fight won’t be surprised by the news.

Last year, he sent Borna Grcic’s head into orbit with a booming left hook at the iconic York Hall in London’s Bethnal Green.

The Croatian lay motionless on the canvas before medics rushed into the ring to provide the fallen boxer with oxygen.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more vicious knockout no matter how deep you dig into the boxing archives. But this wasn’t an anomaly for Junior. His fans have come to expect early nights.

Of his six wins in the paid ranks, the 20-year-old cruiserweight has ended all of them inside the distance – four of which came during the opening round.

There is a strong case to be made for Junior being Britain’s pound-for-pound hardest hitter yet the aptly nicknamed ‘Animal’ insists he never looks for the stoppage.

“If you get caught flush on the chin by me it’s lights out but generally speaking I don’t look for the knockout,” Junior told talkSPORT.com.

“I enter the ring calm and composed fully prepared to go the full four or six rounds but it usually ends up going much shorter than that.”

The only contest to have gone the distance in Junior’s seven-fight professional career (6-1) was his debut against undefeated Polish prospect Michal Soczynski back in November 2021 – which he lost on points.

Most debutants opt to ease themselves into the paid ranks against journeymen with lopsided losing records but Junior is a self-proclaimed ‘risk-taker’.

“I took a massive gamble. I’m not a gambler in terms of money and finances, of course, but I’m a big risk-taker in the ring,” he said.

“I don’t like being comfortable. I like living on the edge but in boxing, I’ve learned you have to take more calculated risks.”

Despite falling short in his maiden appearance, Junior impressed Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren so much that he snapped him up on a five-year deal – and since then he has gone from strength to strength.

His next move is unclear at the time of writing although he will soon be knocking on the door for Southern Area and English titles providing he continues to pulverize his opposition.

Junior’s punch is concussive, anyone who has shared the ring with him will tell you that.

Unbeaten heavyweight Moses Itauma affirms nobody has hit him harder than the Penge prospect while Junior has already earned the respect of Daniel Dubois, Joshua Buatsi and Lawrence Okolie in sparring.

So, where does his earth-shattering power come from? “It runs in the genes,” Junior added. “My family are all heavy-handed. I have an uncle who was an Olympic powerlifter.

“I remember my father used to train me like a madman from a young age as well. He used to get me running on the treadmill and doing all sorts of exercises.

“A large majority of my talent comes from my father and the work ethic he gave me.”

Looking to the future, Junior has lofty aspirations. He cites Alexander the Great, the king of Macedon who conquered Persia at the age of 30, as one of his biggest idols.

“I want to conquer like Alexander the Great,” continued Junior. “I’ve heard people say ‘Aloys you have time’ but I don’t see that.

“The time is now I’m not going to be waiting around. Mike Tyson was a champion from young. I aim to do the same.”