The boxer who accidentally became an actor

Javon Walton has spent much of his life performing under bright lights. Sometimes there is a camera in front of him. At other times, there is an opponent trying to punch him back.

To millions, the 20-year-old is better known as Ashtray - the tattooed teenage drug dealer in hit HBO TV drama Euphoria.

But on Saturday, American Walton headlines a Misfits Boxing event in Miami against former two-weight UFC champion and Olympic wrestling gold medallist Henry Cejudo.

You could be forgiven for thinking this is another celebrity trying his hand at boxing in an era of influencer fights and crossover events. But Walton had "zero interest in acting" as a young child - boxing was his first love.

"My parents were boxing fans and when it was on HBO on Saturdays, I would watch it with them," he tells BBC Sport.

"I practically begged my dad to take me to a gym and when I was four years old he finally took me."

Walton has since amassed 85 amateur bouts, twice won silver at the Junior Olympics and is unbeaten as a professional with three wins and a draw. He is signed to Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian's Most Valuable Promotions.

Walton competed at a high level in gymnastics after following his sister into the sport, but boxing remained his obsession.

本文の著作権はBBCにあります。