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The IBF and WBA world heavyweight champion displaced the Steph Curry at the summit.
Anthony Joshua has been named as the world’s most marketable athlete by the sports industry magazine SportsPro.
The IBF and WBA world heavyweight champion displaced the Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry at the summit, with Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba in third.
The 27-year-old, who has lucrative commercial partnerships with the likes of Beats Electronics and sportswear brand Under Armour, is now in line to become heavyweight boxing’s first bona fide global star since Mike Tyson’s emergence in the 1980s.
SportsPro’s rankings identify athletes with the greatest marketing potential over the next three years by taking into account factors such as their age, crossover appeal and willingness to be marketed.
This year’s list therefore omits the likes of Usain Bolt, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who were each considered to have reached their commercial peaks after years at the pinnacle of world sport.
Despite Messi and Ronaldo’s absence, football is well represented, with Pogba, Barcelona forward Neymar and Chelsea winger Eden Hazard all present.
SportsPro: The World’s 50 Most Marketable Athletes 2017 – the top ten
1. Anthony Joshua – Boxing, UK
2. Stephen Curry – Basketball, USA
3. Paul Pogba – Soccer, France
4. Conor McGregor – MMA, Republic of Ireland
5. Virat Kohli – Cricket, India
6. Jordan Spieth – Golf, USA
7. Neymar – Soccer, Brazil
8. Simone Biles – Gymnastics, USA
9. Mikaela Shiffrin – Skiing, USA
10. Odell Beckham Jr – Football, USA
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