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Privacy NoticeFormer middleweight boxing sensation Anthony Ogogo has been through the mill, undergoing intense surgery to reconstruct his nose with a rib in an attempt to remedy issues from a past in-ring injury. Anthony, once the golden boy of British boxing tipped for world title success, was forced retire from the sport in 2019 just 12 fights into his professional career. A fractured eye socket suffered in a bout against Craig Cunningham three years earlier signalled the end having caused irreparable damage that would leave him effectively blind in one eye. In an attempt to return, he underwent surgery nine times, spending over £100,000 on procedures in the United States. But seven years on from winning bronze in London the dream was over, replaced with waves of hopelessness that left him battling depression and suicidal thoughts.
Anthony officially retired from boxing in March 2019
(Image: Getty)
He later shifted gears towards stints on Strictly Come Dancing and sports punditry. Now, the boxing pro is about to join the sixth series of the Channel 4 reality show Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins cast, which involves celebrities undergoing SAS winter warfare training in New Zealand’s southern islands, alongside Love Islander Georgia Harrison, TOWIE’s Pete Wicks, Torchwood star John Barrowman, and Boris Johnson’s Celebrity Big Brother sister Rachel Johnson. As of 2024, according to celebsmoney.com, Anthony’s net worth is worth a staggering £750,000. In an interview with Metro.co.uk, Anthony said there was a time thinking about boxing made him physically sick. “It sounds horrible, but it was like watching another bloke have sex with your missus,” he said. “Being handcuffed to your seat and not being able to do anything about it.” After hanging up his gloves in March, Anthony shared a heartfelt statement that concluded with: “I’ve been through a lot in my career. I’ve had 17 operations and suffered every pain imaginable. I’ve won, lost, cried and hurt. But if you were to ask me would I do it again? In a heartbeat. I love this game.” The 35 year old from Lowestoft is still grappling with the devastation and can’t fully relish the sport he once adored. However, things are looking up. Having discovered a fresh passion in professional wrestling with All Elite Wrestling, Anthony has begun to come to terms with his past while finding new joys in life. “When I first retired, I was sick of the sight of boxing. Hearing the word boxing made my skin crawl, I got so angry, so bitter, so aggressive. I became a person I didn’t want to be,” he said. “I was the worst version of myself. I couldn’t bear watching people live out my dream, fighting for British, European and world titles, making lots of money. That is what I should have been doing. But eventually, I started to realise it’s not just my dream, it’s their dream too. I had to let it go and walk away.” Sign up to OK!’s TV newsletter to get updates sent to your inbox for free
Anthony Ogogo shared pictures and a video of his dramatic surgery
(Image: anthonyogogo11/Instagram)
At the time of his surgery in 2019, Anthony had a rib removed in order to try to rebuild his nose. Taking to Instagram, the retired boxer shared his journey in a personal video, revealing: “Yesterday I had an operation on my eye, ninth one, to try to get a little bit more vision out of my eye.” He emphatically clarified that his boxing days are well and truly behind him, stating, “Not to get back in the boxing ring, no, those days are gone, I know that but just for quality of life.”
Anthony was declared legally blind
(Image: anthonyogogo11/Instagram)
Opening up about his struggle, he continued, “I had an operation on my nose today, because it’s badly fractured and I can’t breathe properly they’re trying to straighten it because I keep getting throat infections. They had to cut me open and use some rib, some cartilage and some bone from my rib to make my nose! “. Following the fated fight that led to his first pro defeat, Anthony’s injuries were so severe that he was declared legally blind, lost his driving license, and recounted how his eye “basically exploded.” Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins begins on Sunday, 22 September at 9pm on Channel 4Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnStrictly Come DancingAnthony Ogogo
