FIFA video game addiction threatened my boxing career – IBF world heavyweight champion, Joshua

IBF world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua revealed he was forced to quit playing popular football video game FIFA because the addiction started to affect his boxing training.

Joshua claimed the world title in front of former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho at The O2 Arena in London on Saturday, after stunning Charles Martin with a second-round knockout.

But it could have been so much different for the 26-year-old Englishman, who said he played FIFA until the early hours of the morning until the gaming obsession became a problem.

“I used to play FIFA until it affected my boxing,” said Joshua via The Sun.

“I had to stop playing [FIFA] because it affected my sleep and recovery.

“I could stay up till five in the morning playing it, get up at seven and train.

“That’s how mad it was, it wasn’t healthy. Even then it was always sports.”