In the unforgiving landscape of influencer boxing, Anthony Taylor‘s story is one of redemption and resilience. Aged 34, he has emerged from a past marked by hardship and destitution. Taylor’s earlier days were a struggle, involving desperate measures like stripping for financial survival and enduring nights spent on the streets.

However, his life took an unexpected turn. Showing unwavering determination, he seized the opportunities that presented themselves; he transformed from someone surviving on the bare minimum to a respected athlete in combat sports. Moreover, he paid homage to his idol, Dwayne Johnson, through the days of his hardships and he was lucky enough to even get a response from him on social media.

Anthony Taylor thanks Dwayne Johnson for his remarkable work

In 2013, at the tender age of 25, Anthony Taylor began his MMA journey, diving headfirst into training. He started accumulating experience, fighting ten amateur bouts within a swift two-year period. However, fate took an unexpected turn when he made the move to Los Angeles.

Faced with a series of setbacks and a lack of stability, Taylor found himself on a challenging path. To make ends meet, he took up an unconventional job, working as a male stripper. Remembering this, he paid tribute to his idol of that time. On X, he wrote, “Yo @TheRock you inspired me to become a mma fighter and to be great. you helped paved the way to ass kicking, pie eating, eye brow raisin inside the cage.”

As a result, ‘The Rock’ replied, “Mahalo brother, gratitude I can inspire you into MMA. Keep kicking a**!” Well, this got Taylor pretty excited and he even called it “one of the greatest tweets ever.” After going through so many setbacks, he’s finally found himself in a much better position. During his MMA training, he became Jake Paul‘s sparring partner and subsequently entered the influencer boxing scene, seeing the potential of making ginormous amounts of money. He fought in many of his undercards and went against boxers like Tommy Fury and Chris Avila. Also,  ‘Pretty Boy’ Anthony went on to fight Salt Papi and King Kenny, defeating both, who were undefeated at that time. However, not long ago, he talked about his past.

Taylor still remembers those dark days

During his time in Los Angeles, Anthony Taylor found himself immersed in an unconventional lifestyle. “I was a stripper, I had nothing. I wasn’t doing anything with my life, I was homeless, nowhere to go, and I was stripping. I was just enjoying life as a bum who had no goals, nothing,” he candidly admitted. Taylor’s entry into the world of stripping was facilitated by AJ McKeee, the son of Coach Antonio McKeee.

Surprisingly, it was AJ, working in security at a gentlemen’s club, who played a crucial role in connecting Taylor with his unique profession. Furthermore, Taylor explained how he was earning decent with his job, however, still he used to sleep on the benches and sometimes stayed in the boxing gyms as well. He stated, “Those times were low, the lowest times of my life. Having to endure that for such a long period of time really molded the person I am now.“

Read More: Anthony Taylor Predicts KSI’s Fate Against Tommy Fury

So even though Taylor has progressed a lot since these days, he still remembers every moment like it was yesterday. Thankfully, he can focus on the things that are important to him now. What are your thoughts about this? Tell us in the comments section.

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