Attractions Anthony Joshua’s Tiny Impersonator Gets Ready For The Big Punch-Up 25 August 2017 by Visit Blackpool SEA LIFE Blackpool’s champion boxing shrimp Anthony Joshua has been given a ringside seat for Saturday’s big fight. The super-strong crustacian, who only measures three inches high, has his own boxing ring at the aquarium – made of reinforced perspex as he keeps breaking the glass on a normal tank! The mantis shrimp has the fastest jab of any creature on the planet – travelling as fast as a speeding bullet to knock out its prey – and has to have its own fortified case. Staff at SEA LIFE Blackpool have put a TV next to Tiny AJ’s tank so he can watch the much-anticipated Floyd Mayweather Jr vs Conor McGregor clash, also known as ‘The Money Fight’, which has captured the imagination of sports fans across the globe. Matthew Titherington, general manager at SEA LIFE Blackpool, said: “It’s all a bit of fun. The staff have been joking that having such a big hitter here, our Tiny AJ would be interested in seeing the big fight. “The mantis shrimp is an amazing creature. It seems so small and placid, but can suddenly unleash a ferocious, high-speed jab, which knocks out its prey. “We keep Tiny AJ behind the scenes in our SEA LIFE Diaries section. When guests taking the tour saw his astounding punch, they asked us to rename him after the renowned fighter. Scott Blacker, head aquarist at SEA LIFE Blackpool, added: “Shrimp is a term used to describe any small crustacean. But the mantis shrimp fights massively above its weight. It has impressive forelimbs, which grow from the both sides of its mouth that it can wield to knock out prey. “In some species of mantis shrimp, these limbs have a club-like bulge. It helps them to crack hard-shelled prey, such as snails.”