Tyson Fury has declared it is “my time, my destiny, my era and my generation” ahead of his blockbuster showdown with Oleksandr Usyk.
WBC champion Fury is set to fight Ukraine’s WBA, IBF and WBO title-holder Usyk on May 18 in Saudi Arabia in the first undisputed world heavyweight bout of the century.
Regarding his opponent, the former unified cruiserweight champion who made his heavyweight debut in 2020, Fury told a press conference on Wednesday: “It’s not personal, it’s strictly business for both fighters. There’s a lot of stuff on the line, but I don’t hate him, he don’t hate me.
“I respect him, as a man, as a fighter. Everyone has to respect the man’s achievements. Good fighter – I have a tough challenge in front of me. But I’m very confident in my ability and I’m very confident I’ll beat the guy.
“When the cruiserweights step up to the big boys, usually they get found wanting. You can beat the average big ones but you can’t beat the elite big ones, because size really matters. We have weight divisions for a reason and he’s going to be found wanting when he fights me on May 18.
“This is my time, my destiny, my era and my generation. Fact.”
Anthony Joshua urged Francis Ngannou not to quit boxing after he defeated the 37-year-old in just his second professional fight in Riyadh.
Joshua knocked the former UFC champion out in the second round leaving him requiring oxygen in the ring.
Ngannou, who performed well in losing narrowly on points to WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in what had been his only previous fight, started brightly again in Riyadh, holding his own well for much of the first round.
He was put on the canvas by Joshua with about a minute to go in the round, and when he went down again in the second there appeared to be little chance of Ngannou continuing.
“On the road to the championship, you should always stay focused,” Joshua told broadcaster DAZN. “I thought this was something for the broadcasters to get behind.
“When I saw the fight with Tyson Fury, I thought I want some of that. (Ngannou) is a great champion and this doesn’t take anything away from his capabilities. I told him not to leave boxing. He’s two fights in and he fought the best.”
For Joshua it is now four wins in a row as he put himself in prime position to meet the winner of the May 18 fight between Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.
“The Ben Davison performance centre, I appreciate them highly,” he said. “All of these guys that I worked with until this day. I’m just hungry. Stay hungry and all that good stuff.
“It only takes one shot in the heavyweight division. Joseph Parker is one of my favourite fighters, he had it tough and look at him now. I’m just doing it while I’m here and making the most of it. In five years I won’t be fighting.
“Eddie Hearn and my team will shape my future. I’m going back to my cage and when they let me out, I’ll fight again.
“The people of Cameroon, I appreciate you. Africa united, respect. Everyone here tonight, I appreciate you. Thank you to Francis Ngannou.”
Anthony Joshua eased to a second-round knockout win against Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia in just the UFC champion’s second professional match.
Joshua floored his opponent in the first round with a right hand to the chin then again early in the second with a right-left hook combination.
Ngannou got to his feet but was quickly put back down by a strong right hand, after which the referee put a stop to the contest.
The 37-year-old, who performed well in losing narrowly on points to WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in what had been his only previous fight, started brightly again in Riyadh, holding his own well for much of the first round.
He was put on the canvas by Joshua with about a minute to go in the round, beating the count at nine and making it back to his feet to see out the final 40 seconds.
However, when he was knocked down again in the second round there appeared to be little chance of Ngannou continuing, and after struggling back up he was quickly knocked out by a big right hand to put an end to the contest in Joshua’s favour.
Ngannou required oxygen in the ring as he was attended to by medics in the immediate aftermath, before recovering to leave the ring unaided.
For Joshua it is now four wins in a row as he put himself in prime position to meet the winner of the May 18 fight between Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.
Anthony Joshua tipped the scales at 252.4lbs ahead of Friday’s heavyweight showdown against Francis Ngannou, who weighed in almost two stones heavier.
The 34-year-old former two-time world champion was just over a pound heavier than in his last bout against Otto Wallin during December.
Ngannou weighed in at 272.6lbs, slightly above what he was for the fight against Tyson Fury in October, a first boxing contest for the former MMA star.
Following the war of words between Ngannou and Fury during Wednesday’s final pre-fight press conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, there was little drama as the fighters faced off following the weigh-in.
The winner of Friday’s ‘Knockout Chaos’ headline contest is expected to be in line to face Fury or Oleksandr Usyk, who will finally fight in their undisputed heavyweight bout on May 18 before a rematch takes place later in 2024.
Joshua insisted he had plenty of respect for Ngannou – who put Fury on the canvas in the third round before losing a split decision.
The Briton, though, but intends to remain fully focused on his own performance following on from three victories after the disappointment of defeat by Usyk in August 2022.
“Sometimes when you bow your head and make prayers, miracles do happen, that is all I can say – God is working in my favour,” Joshua said following the weigh-in on DAZN Boxing’s YouTube channel.
Joshua added: “Official prediction…? I deliver – I am the postman.”
Ngannou feels he can once again make the most of his underdog tag to prove doubters wrong.
“I have learnt a little bit from the last fight, the last camp, and leading up to this one, so I get a little bit of experience, but the mindset is still the same,” he said.
“This is just my second boxing match, even though I am taking on the two best guys in the world in boxing.
“I am the underdog, I am going out there to prove that you can be an underdog and stand your ground.”
Ngannou added: “Sometimes it just makes me laugh a little bit, because we are going to fight in boxing rules, but what would happen if it was a ‘free’ fight under MMA rules?
“I would smoke this guy. I am the only one to go in their backyard, none of them can come in my backyard. I would take two of them at once.”
Tyson Fury has no concerns about his recent cut jeopardising the rearranged undisputed world heavyweight title fight with Oleksandr Usyk, but would be willing to fight with “blood everywhere” on May 18.
A proposed date of February 17 in Saudi Arabia had to be shelved after the British boxer suffered a “freak cut” above his right eye in sparring.
It forced the eagerly-anticipated contest to be postponed 15 days before all the heavyweight belts were set to be on the line, but Fury has dispelled fears of a repeat with an appearance in Riyadh ahead of Anthony Joshua fighting Francis Ngannou, who lost a split decision to Fury in October.
“It is healing good. I am not concerned. I never was concerned about the cut,” Fury told DAZN.
“From cut date to fight date was 15 weeks. A cut heals in about eight or nine weeks so I had plenty of time and if the cut opens in the fight, so f*** it!
“If it opens in the fight, there will be blood everywhere and so what? Don’t stop the fight. Let it continue because it’s an undisputed heavyweight championship fight. When I start camp at the end of March, I’ll be ready for sparring.”
A new date of May 18 was quickly rearranged to ensure the first undisputed world heavyweight bout of the century would still take place in 2024.
Fury hit back at his critics and insisted he would beat Usyk, who holds the WBA, IBF and WBO belts, before facing the winner of Joshua versus Ngannou.
“There are so many belts on the line and nothing competes with that,” WBC champion Fury said.
“This is the fight of the ages, nothing can compare with this. Not a show fight, not a crossover fight, not YouTube boxing, nothing. This is two undefeated world heavyweight championships colliding for all the belts and it hasn’t been done since whenever.
“Both guys fighting have beat everybody else so this is it. Whoever wins this fight is the best of this era regardless of what anyone’s opinion is or what anyone wants to say. Whoever wins out of me and Usyk is the best of this era.”
On Ngannou’s prospects against Joshua, Fury admitted: “I didn’t have a good night (in October). I had a lot of problems, but I am not here to make excuses.
“I can’t really gauge how good or bad he was because of how poor I was. Watching the fight, that’s what I am here for. The winner of these two will get a shot at a world title from me after I’ve beat Usyk twice this year.
“If Francis wins, it sets up a massive rematch for me and Francis, but if AJ wins, it sets up a big British fight for me and him.
“For me, I have got no money on either side of them so whoever wins it is a bonus because it’s a massive fight either way providing I get through Usyk twice.”
Francis Ngannou was more interested in trading blows with Tyson Fury than upcoming opponent Anthony Joshua during the final press conference before their Friday night fight.
World heavyweight champion Fury was seated in the front row in Riyadh to listen to what boxing novice Ngannou and compatriot Joshua had to say ahead of the 10-rounder in Saudi Arabia.
Riyadh hosted Ngannou’s maiden contest in the ring when he lost narrowly in a split decision to Fury back in October and the former MMA star was happy to stoke the fire some more with the British heavyweight, who will face Oleksandr Usyk in a rearranged undisputed bout on May 18.
“I really think I haven’t shocked the world. I am still in the factory building, training, learning and I think when I am really going to get it, that is when the world will be shocked,” Ngannou told a press conference.
“As I said, I am just getting started. So, I am really looking for the victory on Friday night but I don’t think that will make the heavy statement of my career because the road is still long and I really intend to gain a lot of major victories like this.
“One over Tyson. One more over Tyson because I had the first one over him and I intend to have the second one.”
This prompted Fury to shout out at Ngannou, who stunned the boxing world when he was able to put down the Briton in the third round of their bout last year.
Ngannou responded: “I am going to wipe the ring with your a*** again. You wipe the ring with your a***.
“I already tell you, you’re only chance is in the boxing ring with the boxing rules. When you step out, you better stay five metres away before I stop your s*** because if I lose it, you’re going to have a really bad time my friend.
“Respect the fact that boxing is protecting us. The rules of boxing are protecting us because without that, you are nothing in front of you. I beat you every day. Twice on Sunday.”
Queensberry promoter Frank Warren had to momentarily step in to get the ‘Knockout Chaos’ media event back on track.
The winner of Friday’s fight is expected to be in line to face Fury or Usyk, who will finally fight on May 18 before a rematch takes place later in 2024.
Joshua had no interest in teasing the prospect of an all-British showdown with Fury, which has fallen through in recent years.
“We’re not looking past this fight. This is my main focus. The incentive and all that stuff? Just the win, that’s it. Let’s focus on my game plan and what I’ve got to do,” Joshua insisted.
The former two-time world heavyweight champion is under no illusions of the task at hand despite Ngannou’s limited boxing experience but admitted he does feel the “pressure” to perform.
Joshua added: “His dream was always to be a boxer, so I know what I am up against. I look at all these small details, but I spar, I do my film study, all that type of stuff, I keep it professional.
“On the night is on the night. That’s different. All that textbook stuff goes out the window and you just have to be relentless. Give my best.
“It is our duty. We work for these people out here, you know what I mean? These are the fights they want to see.
“We are here to entertain them, so I feel the pressure but that’s the life. That is what I signed up to do, what I devoted my life to do so bring on every challenge, every competition and I’ll step up to the plate.
“I’m going to share the ring with Francis. One day I’ll share the ring with Tyson. Last fight I shared the ring with (Otto) Wallin. I signed to fight Baby Miller, I sparred (Daniel) Dubois, I signed to fight Bronze Bomber (Deontay Wilder), I’m serious about the game.
“This is just what we do. It is my duty to work for these guys and to give them entertaining nights.”
Tyson Fury has scotched speculation of an impending retirement from boxing as he mapped out a five-fight plan, including a couple of showdowns against British rival Anthony Joshua.
Unfounded scrutiny about the legitimacy of an eye injury that caused his fight against Oleksandr Usyk to be put back to May 18 led to suggestions Fury may have been contemplating hanging up his gloves.
But Fury, who has flirted with retiring several times during his professional career, reaffirmed his commitment to fighting Usyk in Riyadh, where all four major world titles are set to be on the line.
Fury anticipates a rematch with the Ukrainian in another undisputed world heavyweight title fight before one or possibly two fights against Joshua and then a return bout versus Francis Ngannou.
View this post on Instagram
“I keep hearing talk of people saying I should retire or I’m going to retire soon or whatever,” Fury said on his Instagram, showing stitches above his eye.
“I ain’t retiring – I’ve got two fights with Usyk for the undisputed, twice.
“Then I’m going to fight AJ at least once, maybe twice, if there’s a rematch – if he wants one after the first battering I give him. Then I’m going to fight Ngannou again.
“That’s just the start. There’s five fights for you to whet your appetite. I ain’t going nowhere; I’m 35-years-old and in the prime of my life.”
In his most recent bout in October, Fury (34-0-1, 24KOs) was knocked down but eked out a controversial split points win over Ngannou, who was boxing professionally for the first time.
Just over a fortnight before a much-anticipated bout against Usyk, Fury had to pull the plug because of a cut above his right eye which he sustained in sparring and required “significant stitching”.
But organisers have worked efficiently to rearrange the contest between WBC champion Fury and WBA, IBF and WBO titlist Usyk which will crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era.
Frank Warren believes Francis Ngannou can cause an upset by defeating Anthony Joshua ahead of their heavyweight showdown in Saudi Arabia on March 8.
Briton Joshua returns to action following December’s impressive stoppage over Sweden’s Otto Wallin as he continues his bid on becoming a three-time world champion against mixed martial arts star Ngannou in a 10-round bout.
Queensbury promoter Warren, whose prize fighter Tyson Fury came back from an early knockdown to beat Ngannou in controversial fashion in October, believes Joshua should be wary of his opponent’s punch power.
Speaking to the PA news agency at the launch of Queensbury’s ‘Magnificent Seven’ boxing card, Warren said: “Joshua’s come into this after his last fight against Wallin. He’ll be a big favourite going in, but I know that if he gets caught on the whiskers then this fella (Ngannou) could cause a massive upset because he can whack.
“It’s going to be interesting to see how he takes the fight and to see if he fights on the outside or the inside. Ngannou’s game is getting on the inside, he’s a big man, he’s strong.
“I’m intrigued to see what Ngannou’s learnt from his last fight.”
Joshua showed signs of being back to his best with last month’s ruthless victory over Wallin, which marked his third victory of 2023 following wins against Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius.
But Warren believes Ngannou has the tools to exploit AJ’s “wealth” of weaknesses in Riyadh.
“If I’m fighting AJ, what am I looking to do? I’d look to exploit his weaknesses and there’s a wealth of that which we’ve seen,” Warren added. “We’ve seen his weaknesses in that first fight against Tubby the Tuba (defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019).
“Also the two fights to Oleksandr Usyk, we can see what they are. People have seen him wobble a few times in fights, that happens with him. I’m not saying there’s a confidence issue, but there wasn’t that where he was such an emphatic fighter.
“I think he’s changed. He’s changed his style a bit, which he should do. His new trainer (Ben Davison) has brought some momentum to him, but he’s going to have a fight on his hand.”
Nathan Heaney and Joe Joyce are among the fighters on the ‘Magnficent Seven’ card in Birmingham on March 16, and Warren is expecting a competitive night of action.
He said: “The last one we did I think was British promotion of the year. They were great fights, competitive fights and it’s a similar situation here. We have young and established fighters who are all in competitive fights.
“This is something we will now do on a regular basis. They will all be looking these guys to outdo each other because someone wants to come through as the eye catching fight.”
Joe Joyce admits it would be a crazy decision to retire now as he targets a return to winning ways in “thriving” heavyweight division against Kash Ali.
Frank Warren announced the first “Magnificent Seven” boxing card of 2024 on Thursday, including Joyce and Nathan Heaney, will take place in Birmingham on March 16.
Joyce will look to bounce back from two defeats to China’s Zhilei Zhang in 2023 and try to return to world title fight contention.
“It’s good to be back and get back into camp and to start the year with a bang,” Joyce said at a press conference at Birmingham’s Resorts World Arena.
“I’m still here. I’m not retiring and I have plenty of fights to be in. It’s an exciting time to be in. Why retire now? I’d be crazy to.
“I want to get back to winning ways again with a nice victory and then there are plenty of fights on the horizon. The heavyweight division is thriving at the moment especially with the opportunities in Saudi Arabia.
“Styles make fights and he’s a hard hitting durable southpaw (Zhang). I learnt from the first fight but I didn’t get the result (in the second). He got the beating of me and I’ll see what he’ll do next.”
Following his victory over Denzel Bentley in November, the undefeated Heaney will headline the event when he defends his British middleweight title against Brad Pauls.
The Stoke fighter said: “I’ve got the British title and the next title after that is the English title (which Pauls holds) so he is no easy pick at all.
“It was something I’ve always dreamt about (winning British title). That motivation is there for everyone. He’s better than people think, he has got a good jab and it sets up for a good fight.”
Birmingham’s Solomon Dacres features on the card, Eithan James fights Owen Cooper for the English welterweight title and Zach Parker faces Germany’s Tyron Zeuge.
Dennis McCann will also return to the ring after August’s technical draw with Ionut Baluta when he goes head-to-head with Liverpool’s Brad Strand while Erik Robles fights Liam Davies for the IBO world super bantamweight title.
The news comes soon after the announcement of Anthony Joshua’s next bout against MMA star Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia on March 8.
Queensbury promoter Warren said: “We have so many quality fights, great for those buying tickets.
“We have top talent with youngsters coming through. It’s a competitive fight for everyone on the card. We have revived the format, we will do this a few times this year.”
Anthony Joshua moved closer to regaining a version of the world heavyweight title after his crushing win over Otto Wallin in Saudi Arabia on Friday night.
Joshua, who has been without a belt since his loss to Oleksandr Usyk in October last year, dominated the 33-year-old Swede with a performance that suggested he is back to his destructive best.
Joshua had been slated to meet former champion Deontay Wilder in his next bout but, after the American was defeated by Joseph Parker, the Londoner’s promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed he will now target a fight against hard-hitting Croatian Filip Hrgovic.
Hrgovic is mandatory challenger for the IBF title currently held by Usyk, but the assumption is the Ukrainian will relinquish or lose the belt when he invokes a rematch clause following his undisputed fight against Tyson Fury in February.
Hearn said: “It was a tough decision between the championship and Deontay Wilder. We signed for Deontay Wilder but he lost tonight and maybe that’s a blessing, because really this guy is about championships.
“It’s going to be Hrgovic against AJ for the world title. I’m so happy to see him smiling and performing so well.
“He’s a dangerous man when he’s in that kind of mood, and 2024 is going to be very interesting and every heavyweight should be on notice – he’s back.”
Hrgovic, who needed less than two minutes to outclass Mark de Mori on the Riyadh undercard, has won all 17 of his professional fights, all but three inside the distance.
He is currently the mandatory challenger for a shot at the version of the belt held by Usyk, and must be given his shot within a time period that makes it impossible to fit in the prospective Fury-Usyk rematch.
Victory would make Joshua a three-time holder of a heavyweight title belt, having lost previous versions in defeat to Usyk and Andy Ruiz Jr.
Coming after back-to-back defeats to the Ukrainian, Joshua’s win over Wallin capped a satisfying 2023 in which he beat Jermaine Franklin Jr by unanimous decision in April before sealing a seventh-round stoppage against Robert Helenius in August.
While Joshua still has much to do to prove he belongs in the same category as Usyk and Fury, Hearn has no doubts that his win over Wallin will pave the way for him to prove himself as the division’s undisputed number one.
“They told me he’s back, that he’s destroying people in sparring, and I believe that this AJ is the best heavyweight in the world,” added Hearn.
“Otto Wallin is an excellent heavyweight, and he absolutely dispatched him. He broke him down and broke his nose – it was a stunning performance. In this mindset and with this team, I believe he is unbeatable, and 2024 is going to be a massive year for him.”
Anthony Joshua insists he remains focused on securing victory on Saturday night and will not be distracted by thoughts of future fights when he goes up against Otto Wallin in Saudi Arabia.
The 34-year-old is aiming to make it three wins from three in 2023, having already beaten Jermaine Franklin Jr by unanimous decision in April before sealing a seventh-round stoppage against Robert Helenius in August to earn a 26th professional career victory.
Saturday’s bout in Riyadh is a key clash for the former two-time world heavyweight champion, who has ambitions of returning to the top of the heavyweight division, and he weighed in at 17st 13lbs, nearly 13lbs heavier than his opponent.
Joshua said: “Without Saturday night there is no future. Saturday night I’ve been saying all week is my main focus. Whatever happens in the ring, I know that’s where my heart is. I need to get this win.
“If my prayers are answered, I’ll get the win.
“I’ve been focused, praying hard and, whatever God wants from me, I’m going to follow that path. I’m making sure it’s not just prayer, I’m following up by action as well.”
Amid talk of a proposed fight against Deontay Wilder, who faces Joseph Parker on the same bill, Joshua says he is focused on securing success on Saturday night before considering his next move.
He said: “I’m a serious fighter, I’m a serious businessman, I’ve got a great team behind me and they’re handling business. As I always say, let me focus on what I’ve got to focus on.”
Joshua has recorded three career losses so far – beaten by Andy Ruiz in 2019 before Oleksandr Usyk defeated him twice – while the Swedish southpaw has only one career loss to date against Tyson Fury and claims there will be a “new king” on Saturday.
Wallin said: “I’m a small fighter. I’m a southpaw. I’ve trained for this moment for a very long time so I’m very much ready for it.
“I know tomorrow there’s going to be a new king and he’s from Sweden.”
Wilder and Parker will also go head to head in Riyadh.
Wilder comes into the bout at a lean 15st 3lbs compared to Parker’s 17st 7lbs and the heavy hitter, who has claimed 42 of his 43 victories by knockout, believes Parker have “never felt the power” he possesses.
“I’m just this calm and collected,” Wilder said.
“I’ve been here many times before and I’ve fought his style before. He’s never fought a style like mine. He’s never felt the power that I bring and possess.”
Parker vowed to “be aggressive” ahead of their meeting.
He said: “We’re here, we’re ready and I can’t wait.
“I’m going to be aggressive, go in there, execute the plan, follow the strategies and get the win.”
Anthony Joshua insisted he remained focused on securing victory on Saturday night and was not distracted by thoughts of future fights when he goes up against Otto Wallin in Saudi Arabia.
The 34-year-old is aiming to make it three wins from three in 2023 having already beaten Jermaine Franklin Jr by unanimous decision in April before securing a seventh-round stoppage against Robert Helenius in August to earn a 26th professional career victory.
Saturday’s bout is an important clash for the former two-time world heavyweight champion, who is looking to insert himself back into the top of the heavyweight division.
Speaking after Friday’s weigh-in, Joshua said: “If my prayers are answered, I’ll get the win.
“I’ve been focused, praying hard and whatever God wants from me, I’m going to follow that path. I’m making sure it’s not just prayer, I’m following up by action as well.”
With talk of a proposed fight against Deontay Wilder – who faces Joseph Parker on the same bill – Joshua insisted he remained focused on securing success on Saturday night before considering future fights.
He said: “I’m a serious fighter, I’m a serious businessman, I’ve got a great team behind me and they’re handling business. As I always say, let me focus on what I’ve got to focus on.
“Without Saturday night there is no future. Saturday night I’ve been saying all week is my main focus. Whatever happens in the ring, I know that’s where my heart is. I need to get this win.”
Joshua has recorded three career losses so far, beaten by Andy Ruiz in 2019 before Oleksandr Usyk defeated him twice, and comes into Saturday’s fight weighing 251 pounds, while Wallin came in at 238.6 pounds.
The Swedish southpaw has only one career loss to date against Tyson Fury and insisted there would be a “new king” on Saturday.
Wallin said: “I’m a small fighter. I’m a southpaw. I’ve trained for this moment for a very long time so I’m very much ready for it.
“I know tomorrow there’s going to be a new king and he’s from Sweden.”
Wilder and Parker will also go head-to-head in the other main showpiece this weekend.
Wilder comes into the bout at a lean 213 pounds compared to Parker’s 245.3 pounds and the heavy hitter, who has won 42 of his 43 victories by knockout, insisted Parker had “never felt the power” he possessed.
“I’m just this calm and collected,” Wilder said.
“I’ve been here many times before and I’ve fought his style before. He’s never fought a style like mine. He’s never felt the power that I bring and possess.”
Parker vowed to “be aggressive” ahead of their meeting.
He said: “We’re here, we’re ready and I can’t wait.
“I’m going to be aggressive, go in there, execute the plan, follow the strategies and get the win.”
Anthony Joshua admits “there is no future” if he fails to beat Otto Wallin on the “Day of Reckoning” in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
The two-time world champion is aiming to win his third fight of 2023 after already gaining victories over Jermaine Franklin Jr and Robert Helenius earlier in the year as he looks to step back to the top of the heavyweight division.
Joshua has three career defeats to date, Andy Ruiz Jr inflicted his first loss in 2019 before Oleksandr Usyk beat him for the IBF, IBO, WBA and WBO heavyweight titles on two occasions.
The 34-year-old understands that defeat could be damaging for his future in the sport.
He told a press conference: “I know where I’m going in my life but I’ve got to say this is a checkpoint and if I don’t get past this, there is no future so I’m fully locked in to Otto Wallin and doing the job.
“Pure focus on Saturday, that’s with my heart, soul and every cell in my body is focused on Otto Wallin and knowing what I can do.”
Joshua has looked focused in the build-up to the fight and explained he only has one thing on his mind.
He added: “I’m looking to do a good job and what more can I say, I will do a good job.
“I’m here to fight, I’m not here to party, I want to perform well and put that pressure on myself because I want to win, I have that urge to win and want to hurt my opponent as well.”
Swedish fighter Wallin, 33, has just one career defeat to his name, narrowly losing to Tyson Fury in 2019 but has won all six of his fights since.
Wallin vows to win the fight on Saturday and does not think it will be an ‘upset’ if he does so.
He said: “Its a big fight and big opportunity I’ve worked hard to be here and now it’s time to enjoy the moment, win the fight and move on.
“I’m going to win the fight and it shouldn’t be an upset, it’s natural and it’s my time, I’m happy to be here. I’m just trying to be myself, people say I talk a lot but I just answer them with what I feel, and I’m not trying to make anything up its the truth if people don’t like it fine, but its true.”
Deontay Wilder takes on Joseph Parker in the co-main event of the evening on a card which features eight fights.
Wilder has claimed 42 of his 43 victories by the way of knockout and insists he will do the same on Saturday.
He said: “I’ve come here to do what I do best, it’s something that comes naturally and I’m looking to do it again. Don’t blink baby, bam good night.
“I come to do what I do best, and that’s what the fans want to see, no one wants to see a 12-round fight and we are heavyweights and hard hitters, they wanna see us fight and then afterwards go party. Nowadays my name is called doctor sleep.”
Parker promised to put on a display for those in attendance.
He added: “I’ve had a great camp and coming into this fight with a great game plan, great strategy and respect to Wilder but I’m here to do a job and I’m here to win.
“We have a great camp and the people involved but when I get out there I’m going to put on a display.”
Anthony Joshua kept his cards close to his chest with another low-key open workout ahead of Saturday’s fight with Otto Wallin in Riyadh.
Former two-time world heavyweight champion Joshua will step into the ring for 30th time this weekend, but the talk ahead of this latest bout in Saudi Arabia has swirled around a proposed clash with Deontay Wilder in 2024.
Wilder will face Joseph Parker on the same bill as Joshua on Saturday night and both men adopted different approaches for their open workouts on Wednesday, with the British boxer doing barely a minute of shadow boxing before he invited local youngsters into the ring.
Instead of Joshua being put through his paces, it was the aspiring fighters who worked up a sweat before the 34-year-old reiterated his focus is all about claiming the 27th victory of his career on Saturday.
“I do want to hurt him, that’s fact,” Joshua (26-3, 23KOs) told TNT Sports.
“This (workout) ain’t fun for me, this is just work. What will be fun is Saturday night getting my hand raised.
“All of this is really nice, but this ain’t for me. This is for the entertainment, for the viewers, for the people who have come to Saudi to watch a night of boxing. My entertainment is in the ring on Saturday night and I’m not there yet so I’ve got to stay focused.
“I’m here with you guys out of contractual obligations so I will fulfil my obligations but ultimately my true, true obligation is to fight on Saturday night.
“I need to win, I have to win and yeah, if it is destined and meant to be, it’s meant to be.”
Before Joshua stepped in the ring for his non-workout, which has been a feature of other fight weeks, his long-standing rival Wilder discussed the pressure being put on the Watford fighter.
View this post on Instagram
Wilder added: “It’s been so long that people talk about me and him getting in the ring. I think there is a lot more pressure on him than me.
“A lot of people talk about how he responded to media. I had a lot of media come up to me today and ask me about his behaviour. I say you all put a lot of pressure on him. He has got to focus on Otto Wallin.
“You put a lot of pressure on him, I wish everyone would back off him.”
Former world heavyweight champion David Haye was advised by doctors to retire from boxing on this day in 2013.
The then 33-year-old was told to think about ending his 11-year professional career after undergoing five hours of surgery in Germany in an attempt to reconstruct his right shoulder.
Haye had been due to face fellow Briton Tyson Fury in a rearranged bout in Manchester the following February, but was forced to cancel the fight for a second time, having previously pulled out of a September date due to a cut above his left eyebrow.
In a statement on Haye’s website, he said: “I genuinely believed the shoulder injury wasn’t that bad.
“But the doctor sent me for a detailed MRI scan and within 24 hours I was told the full extent of the damage. Twenty-four hours after that I was in the operating theatre.
“It’s a crushing blow for me. I had big plans for next year and the ultimate goal was to win back the world heavyweight title, something my amazing fans deserve.
“What I didn’t anticipate was that this year would be the unluckiest of my career and that a number of injuries would disrupt my plans so much.
“Perhaps it just wasn’t meant to be. The boxing Gods keep hinting that maybe enough is enough and that it’s time to finally hang up my gloves.”
Despite the medical advice, Haye returned to the ring four years later with wins over Mark de Mori and Arnold Gjergjaj in 2016.
He had become unified cruiserweight world champion by stopping fellow Briton Enzo Maccarinelli in 2008 and beat Russian Nikolay Valuev for the WBA heavyweight title in 2009.
The Bermondsey fighter finally announced his retirement in June 2018 after back-to-back losses to Tony Bellew, walking away from the sport aged 37 with 28 career wins – 26 by knockout – from 32 fights.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
