By the time a boxer becomes a household name, the paydays have become enormous. But much of a boxer's toil is unseen—you don't get to a record like 22-0 without starting at the sport's entry levels. Those early fights are unglamorous, barely pay anything, and happen pretty far outside of the mainstream levels of the sport. Only years into your career can you begin to reap million-dollar checks, if you get that far. It's easy to lose the path and never find it again.
However, British heavyweight Anthony Joshua built his career on a strong foundation. Instead of turning pro in 2010, he kept his amateur status in order to compete in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London (He won gold, of course). Before something like pay-per-view streaming service DAZN came along—a network that may give Joshua a £30M payday for his upcoming fight against Andy Ruiz Jr.—Joshua built himself into a world-class fighter.