Joliet’s JoJo Awinongya aims for Olympic boxing stardom

JOLIET – Joseph Awinongya Jr., also known as JoJo, is 17 years old, and he sees himself as a bit of an introvert.

That is about all that is normal about him.

Awinongya, the son of former professional boxer Joseph Awinongya, took online classes to get his high school diploma from Washington Academy in Joliet while still in junior high, earning the diploma at age 13. From there, he attended Joliet Junior College for his associate degree and is about to graduate from the University of St. Francis with a marketing degree.

That alone would make JoJo stand out, but there’s more.

He is a 21-time national boxing champion, having most recently won the U19 World Championship at 165 pounds. He is a member of Team USA and is a hopeful for the 2028 Olympic games in Los Angeles. Awinongya started boxing when he was 5 years old, under the tutelage of his father.

“My dad started boxing as an amateur in Ghana and Italy,” JoJo said. “Then he came to the United States and began professional boxing and opened his own gym. Since I was about 2 years old, I would go to the gym with him, but I didn’t have a big love for boxing back then. I would go over to the wrestling side of the gym.

“After one of my dad’s fights where the outcome wasn’t what he wanted, I saw the amount of pride he had for the sport, and I decided to try it.”

It has been a remarkably successful journey for the young man ever since, and it is the lessons he learned at a young age that have carried him on that path.

“From the time I was 5 to 8 years old was probably the most intense training that I did,” Awinongya said. “I would run on the treadmill until I couldn’t run any more. It really brings out your will to improve. I had my first fight when I was 8 and have been doing it ever since.

“My dad taught me a lot. He kind of had to learn about tournaments and stuff like that, but when it came to the boxing in the ring, he was very well versed in that and taught me well.”

Awinongya stands 6-foot-4, which gives him a distinct reach advantage over most of his opponents. Couple that with the way he has been trained to move around the ring, and it has proved to be a winning combination. Now, however, as he continues to mature into his body, he will move up in weight class and add more strength to his repertoire.

“I am hoping to add more strength,” he said. “I was in 165 when I won the U19 championship, but in my next tournament [which starts Dec. 16], I will fight at 176. With the way I eat at home, I won’t have any trouble putting on the weight. I felt great fighting at 165, but the plan is to go up to the next weight and not lose any of my quickness and movement.

“Right now, the best part of my boxing has been movement and reach. I am able to keep other boxers from getting in close with my reach and by moving around the ring. I know I need to get stronger so I can get some eight-counts or knockouts in earlier rounds.”

As far as his academic prowess, JoJo said he followed the same principle as he does in boxing.

“I applied myself in school,” he said. “I am an on-campus student at St. Francis. When I started college, I was more of an introvert because it was a new experience for me. As I kept going, I learned to be a bit more of an extrovert and interact with the other students.

“But, because of my training schedule, I pretty much go to class, do my assignments and come home. Other students have been really nice to me.”

More information about Awinongya can be found at https://jojotheboxer.com/.