Boxing
Nick Parkinson 6y

Anthony Joshua will take Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury on the chin ahead of Alexander Povetkin fight

Boxing

Anthony Joshua is prepared for more noise from heavyweight rivals Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury this week -- and does not blame them for hurling abuse his way.

Joshua expects his heavyweight rivals to grab some attention by baiting and criticizing him ahead of his sixth title defence against Russia's Alexander Povetkin in front of an expected crowd of 80,000 at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

Fury and Wilder, who are due to fight at an American venue in December, both regularly express their contempt for Joshua. American Wilder (40-39 KOs), the WBC world champion from Alabama, blames Joshua for the collapse in talks over a world title unification fight earlier this year. Fury (27-0, 19 KOs) resents the attention and recognition his British rival has received, arguing he is the lineal world heavyweight champion and, since he has never lost, is the true champion, not Joshua.

Joshua (21-0, 20 KOs) holds the three versions of the world heavyweight title (WBA, IBF and WBO) that Fury briefly did, before he gave them up for various reasons. Despite Joshua being regarded as the division's No 1 in most independent rankings, Wilder and Fury insist their fight is bigger than Joshua-Povetkin and will decide the true global heavyweight king. Joshua, 28, has grown used to their trash-talking and understands the game.

"You have to mention other people's names to tag along," Joshua said. "Fury always does it, jumps on Twitter when I'm fighting, when there's a lot of hype around my fights. 'You're a p****', 'you're this', it's good publicity.

"If you look at the trend, always around when I'm fighting he will call me out or mention my name. "They have done well for themselves but I'm the name in the division. They are going to wait for my failure, that's what they are waiting for, these guys are out waiting for me to slip up. "But it is what it is. They will be waiting a long time, for sure. It's the long run, not the short term."

Joshua, the 2012 Olympic gold medalist who lives in north London and trains in Sheffield, is looking to emulate the long-reigning Wladimir Klitschko, who ruled for nine-and-a-half years as champion before Fury out-pointed him in November 2015. But Joshua argues that Ukrainian Klitschko, who retired after losing to Joshua in the 11th round at Wembley Stadium in April last year, had more time than him to develop before he became champion. Joshua, who only took up boxing ten years ago, says he will not adopt the same tactics Klitschko used when he floored Povetkin (34-1, 24 KOs) four times in a unanimous points win five years ago when the Ukrainian was WBA-IBF-WBO champion. 

"Me and Klitschko are so different when I look up our resumes and our style of fighting and the opponents we were fighting at the same stage were so different," Joshua said. "He had time to develop. "For me to compare myself to Klitschko, I probably need another 10 fights before I say I am going to box like him. In terms of experience, he went through a lot of tough fights and learning fights before he got to that stage before he could beat Povetkin behind that jab. I will try and do it but I am going to have to set a little bit more to put him in his place.

"You know if I am fighting a tall geezer it is jab for jab. But with Povetkin he is waiting and then, suddenly, it's boom. "It will be a real breaking down job. I can't give him any opportunities. I have to stand on his ground. "I know I can't stand off it because he will be waiting for me to come in and then he'll hit me. I have to take him off his game, bully him a bit, and bam, hit him."

Joshua admits his performance against Joseph Parker, of New Zealand, in March may have been affected by feeling under pressure due to speculation he would be meet Wilder next. Joshua was taken to points for the first time in the pro ranks before talks with Wilder then broke down and it is unclear whether victory on Saturday will set up a four-belt world title unification fight on April 13 back at Wembley Stadium.

"This fight is interesting because fighting at Wembley is different as there is 80,000 people there," Joshua said. "It's difficult doing it in front of 10 people in the gym. So I am going to take that mindset in there - and just relax and have fun. No pressure, because it is a lot of pressure. In heavyweight boxing, it's not just losing. You can get embarrassed and badly hurt in this game.

"I want to go in there and relax and outclass him, out-think him, out-smart him and hopefully I will be victorious. "That fight with Parker was a lot of pressure because I thought the Wilder fight was coming next but you learn and I am going to go in there and have fun, and what will be will be."

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