CARDIFF, WALES (Oct. 25, 2017) – Unified Heavyweight World Champion Anthony Joshua and IBF mandatory challenger Carlos Takam worked out in front of approximately 1,400 fans on Wednesday at St. David’s Hall in Cardiff, just three days before they square off this Saturday live on SHOWTIME.

The near-capacity crowd at the National Concert Hall of Wales serves as a prelude to the record-breaking audience expected at Principality Stadium on Saturday where more than 75,000 fans will set boxing’s all-time indoor attendance record at the retractable roof facility.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins live at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT from ringside in Cardiff as Joshua (19-0, 19 KOs) returns for the first time since unifying the heavyweight division. The undefeated British sensation picked up the WBA belt to go along with his IBF crown on April 29 in a leading Fight of the Year thriller with Wladimir Klitschko.

“We’re going to have a war. We’re going to wear our hearts on our sleeves,” Joshua said. “This is what fighting’s about. With me, it ain’t about all this other stuff that goes on outside the ring. When people come to watch me box, they know they’re going to have a good time. They know they’re going to see knockouts.”

Takam (35-3-1, 27 KOs), a 2004 Olympian from Cameroon, packs a lengthy resume as he looks to shock the world and become heavyweight champion.

“He’s a world champion, he’s earned his belt,” said the 36-year-old Takam. “But I’m coming here to take it.”

Joshua vs. Takam is the first of two consecutive heavyweight world bouts on SHOWTIME. Next Saturday, Nov. 4, WBC Heavyweight World Champion Deontay Wilder will defend his title in a rematch with Bermane Stiverne, the only opponent to last the distance with the American champion in 38 professional bouts.

Here’s what the fighters had to say on Wednesday:

ANTHONY JOSHUA:
“I’ve never been nervous about fighting but I think this stadium is going to be different. There’s a closed roof. I know the energy and the atmosphere is going to be bouncing up and down off the roof and it’s going to be nothing like before. As I said, if Saturday night is a little bit like the people today here at the public workout, it’s going to be phenomenal.

“This is what fighting’s about – different styles and different types of opponents. But the best opponent you can work on is yourself so I’ve definitely been improving myself. I can talk about a million things I’ve been working on but at the end of the day, as soon as that first bell rings, that’s when it matters.

“We’re going to have a war. We’re going to wear our hearts on our sleeves. This is what fighting’s about. With me, it ain’t about all this other stuff that goes on outside the ring. When people come to watch me box, they know they’re going to have a good time. They know they’re going to see knockouts. They’re going to see a bit of blood and a bit of respect after.

“I think the UK has been sending a statement for a long time. It wasn’t so long ago that U.K. heavyweights or boxers weren’t getting a look. Now, all the Americans are talking about U.K. fighters. We’ve definitely been sending a statement over to the States for a long time.

“[Joseph Parker and Deontay Wilder] can watch me a million times but it’s so different when you get in these ropes. When you get in here, you can watch somebody a million times, but it’s a different challenge when you face someone face-to-face.

“We have to deliver. The fans know what they want, I know what they want. It’s my job to deliver. I haven’t got to say it – I know already and the fans know. Let’s just deliver Saturday night and we’ll look forward to a promising 2018.”

On opponent Takam, who became the mandatory challenger after an injury to Kubrat Pulev:
“First and foremost, massive credit to Eddie [Hearn] because he’s done amazing work. He was ahead of the game and he’s managed to allow this show to go ahead. Credit to Carlos Takam, a true athlete who stays fit all year round. He’s not someone who just trains for a fight, he seems to keep himself conditioned and that’s what we like. He’s the same as myself. And I think – what would I do? Would I give up the IBF belt? Hell no. I worked too hard for it.”

CARLOS TAKAM:
“I’m ready for this fight, I’m ready for everything he has. I’ve been waiting for this opportunity for a long time. We were in the gym getting ready, hoping we would get this chance.

“He’s a world champion, he’s earned his belt. But I’m coming here to take it. You have to defend your title, and I’m not going to make it easy. I’m going to make this the fight of the year.

“If I can do things differently from what other boxers have done against him, I’ll have a chance to win by knockout.

“A lot of people have asked me if I see any weaknesses in Joshua’s style. All I can say is we will see on fight night.

“I’m not bothered about fighting in front of 80,000 people, the only people in the ring will be myself and Joshua, nothing else matters except us.”

https://www.facebook.com/SkySports/videos/10155855984288762/

Unified and undefeated heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua spoke to members of the media on a SHOWTIME-hosted conference call to discuss his upcoming title defense against IBF mandatory challenger Carlos Takam. The fight will be televised LIVE on SHOWTIME at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT from Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.

The British sensation Joshua (19-0, 19 KOs) and Takam (35-3-1, 27 KOs) will meet in front of what is expected to be more than 70,000 boxing at Welsh’s national stadium.

Here is what Joshua had to say on the call:

ANTHONY JOSHUA:

“We’re back again October 28 against Carlos Takam. I could say a million things about Takam because I’m studying him. At the end of the day, there’s two things that I’m focusing on. One is that it’s just like another fight and the second is winning. Then we can all move on to see what 2018 holds. I’m sure that’s going to be a promising year.”

On his viewpoint of how he felt when opponent was changed from Kubrat Pulev to Carlos Takam:

“I was a bit baffled. You know how it is when you’re a fighter, you say ‘I’m going to fight with one arm, one eye, one leg.’ I didn’t expect him to stand down the opportunity but I do understand that he wanted to be 100 percent. Nowadays, there’s a lot of science to the sport so he probably had to get advice from his doctors, so I get it. But it’s a shame because there was just something about Pulev and wanting to outclass him. My mindset with Takam…I don’t know. He’s veteran where you take a lot to give a lot. It’s just switching up my mindset about the style of fight I’m going to engage in now. That was the main disappointment.”

On his thoughts about some point fighting in the U.S.:

“I’m excited. I’m very excited. I would love to fight the great champions that the United States has produced. At the same time, I’ll fight anywhere. I’m fine staying in the UK, but America’s definitely at the top of the pyramid for sure. The thing is, before I wanted to go out there for the experience but now I want to go out there and make me some money. For what fight, that’s what’s going to be interesting.”

On if he foresees a showdown with Deontay Wilder in 2018:

“Anytime. I think so. I think he’s what the division needs and I think this is what Wilder needs, so we’ll give it to them. I say it’s definitely a potential for 2018. What else am I going to do in 2018 provided that I don’t have any mandatories? I’ll be a free agent. If dealt with right with Eddie Hearn and the U.S., I think it could be built to be something just like the Klitschko fight. It should be better.”

On if he foresees the Wilder fight being in the U.S.:

“I think so. I could tell you a million things but the reason I’m saying that is because I do have some real professional people in the background advising me as well. I can see it happening in the U.S. If you came to Wembley on April 29, you saw what that was like. It was phenomenal. That was really good. So do we want to create that again or should we go overseas and do something new? It’s good to have options.”

On the timeline of events and mindset after Takam was announced as the replacement for Pulev:

“There was no doubt in my mind that I would still fight. If Eddie had opponents lined up, I was definitely still going to fight. There was no point in my mind where I thought that I’m not going to compete or didn’t know what I was going to do. A real bonus is that I always work on myself in the gym so I haven’t had like 100 Pulev clones coming to the gym. I haven’t been working just solely on the style to defeat Pulev. I’ve been working on improving on my weaknesses and building on my strengths. So, when I heard I wasn’t going to be fighting him and that the next guy in line was Takam, it was like OK, cool, because I’ve still been developing myself anyways.

“You could put me with anyone. What I’ve worked on in the gym and what I’ve built myself two of these last three months, I should be able to fight anyone. I’m just happy that I don’t have to wait because it probably would have been March or April. That would have been a year out of the ring. I don’t think now is the time to be taking that much time out so I’m really grateful that the show could still go on.”

On if from a fighter’s perspective there’s financial pressure involved in whether or not the show should go on regardless of the replacement:

“No. When I look at Pulev. He was getting the pay day. He had to make the decision. From a fighter’s point of view, you have to put the fighter first. From a second point of view, I don’t want to take the opportunity from a lot of my friends on the undercard because they’re not going to make their money. Then you’ve got to think of the fans as well because there’s so many people that book hotels, travel, time off work. Before I think of myself, I think of all these other people that have come out to have a good time and are dependent on me. So that’s why I said I’m really happy that the show could go on, not just for me. A lot of people would have lost out that night.”

On his reaction to Deontay Wilder claiming nobody wants to fight him after Luis Ortiz pulled out:

“[Laughing] When I heard Pulev pulled out, I was going to do the same thing. I thought that’s what the champions are doing these days. I find it funny. It’s like Twitter fingers now. Like doing your business behind closed doors. Ortiz failed a drug test, so be it, move onto the next one. Ortiz comes off his ban and you box him then. No need to cry about it and say that nobody wants to fight you. Of course we want to fight you, you’re the champion. You’re the hunted. He just needs to start thinking that way and stop feeling sorry for himself. Just keep quiet and don’t show any weakness in this game. This is heavyweight boxing. This ain’t featherweight boxing.”

On why he thinks Deontay Wilder needs a potential heavyweight showdown more than he does:

“I fought Jason Gavern in maybe my 12th fight. Deontay Wilder is fighting in his 34th fight maybe his 35th fight. Where I’m coming from is that in a career, it’s all good going undefeated and looking good. But when it’s all said and done, how are people going to remember you? He hasn’t had any memorable fights. He needs a real remarkable fight to stamp his name in the history books of heavyweight boxing. He needs that more right now. Especially being in America. This is the mecca of boxing. I even need it. I need Wilder to have a remarkable fight. I need to be the one that steps up to make this dream a reality. I would be honored to go out there and compete with Wilder.”

On what he’s learned from almost being defeated by Klitschko:

“Now when I watch boxing, I watch it completely different. When you watch a George Foreman and Ron Lyle kind of fight or an Ali and Foreman fight where a bit of their soul and spirit disappears, I always wondered how they were doing it and how they were taking those shots. You always question how, why, and what makes people do what they do. Until I went through it, I would always watch boxing but now I don’t just watch it, I understand it. I know the thing that you can’t be taught is how to survive in the trenches. I just feel like my heart is very big and I wear it on my sleeve in this sport.

“It’s just that mindset. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to win, that’s one thing. I just realized as well what the division needs because I think the masses of people can relate to a boxer’s life. It’s labor, you’re up early, working, you’re resting and providing for your family. There’s also the glitz and glamor of getting money but that disconnects from so many people. The wealthy people are one percent of the world, so people just want to see you fight. They want to see you go to war. That’s another thing I’ve learned…what people want and desire for in this sport to kind of bring the attention back to boxing. I don’t just do it, I don’t just watch it, I really understand it. I know what to do to deliver.”

On if he thinks he’s the biggest attraction in boxing and comfortable with shouldering that responsibility:

“I’m going to keep it humble because there’s still people in this sport that I look up to. I love Kovalev, I love Alexander Ustinov. From a talent perspective, I don’t know if I’m as talented, but I hustle the smartest. I work the hardest. You can’t deny that. We’re all carrying this weight. Even promoters are carrying this weight it’s not just me. We all have different attributes.”

On the challenges Takam presents as compared to Pulev:

“To have a style like Takam’s, not a lot of people have long careers. He just eats up a little bit of ground each round. He could throw a jab, right hand to the head, left hook, right hook and be looking good and all of a sudden, everything he’s doing wasn’t working because the person you’re fighting is still coming. So, I think by round six, seven or eight he starts applying pressure because he’s got that type of fighter with the ‘I’m going to absorb and measure everything you do’ mindset which is a dangerous style.

“I’ve fought Breazeale, Molina, and Klitschko and for Kubrat Pulev I’ve focused on a lot of taller fighters. They say Carlos Takam fights at 6-foot-2, but he probably fights at 6-foot bent down and crouched over. All in all, what goes down in the history books is whether I win or lose. I just got to do whatever I got to do to get this win. Because it’s really important for me and the sport of boxing because it sets up several fights in the future.”

On if the fight with Takam is tougher than what Pulev would have presented:

“I think he’s tougher and can take more but I don’t think he’s smarter for that reason. What’s going to be tougher…the smarter fighter who’s going to make me think more or the guy who’s going to make me run? That’s what’s going to be interesting. I think I definitely might see him in the future.”

On being compared to Lennox Lewis:

“It’s an honor at this stage. I’m going to do some research and see where Lennox was at in terms of career building going into his 20th fight. I feel like Lennox is definitely someone I can learn from. If you gave me a list of boxers I could learn from, I would put Lennox in my top 10, 100 percent. If I can perfect that jab. This is what we’re doing, this is the journey we’re on. It’s interesting because either you’re the next Lennox or the next Tyson or you’re nobody in boxing. It’s a tough sport so if I can be compared to these legends of the game, we’re definitely moving in the right direction. I’m not here calling myself the next Lennox. This is what I’m hearing. But we’re moving in the right direction.

On if he’s spent any time around Lennox Lewis and if he’s made any comments on his career:

“I was around Lennox when I was trying to make the decision about turning professional. Lennox gave me advice more about career building. So I went through Matchroom, who’s done that for a long time. After that, I kind of locked myself away and have just been focusing on my fight game. If there’s any advice I could take from Lennox it would be for my fight game because I do need to develop skills for sure.”

On if there’s a timetable to unify the title and if so does Deontay Wilder need to have a great fight to build the hype:

“There’s no time scale. You kind of just roll with the punches. We were fighting for the British title and then the Charles Martin opportunity presented itself. Then the Klitschko fight presented itself. And now we have a mandatory and you have to take that so we’re rolling with the punches, but there’s opportunities above him in the background. Deontay Wilder doesn’t need a better performance to compete. He’s a heavyweight, he’s a champion. He’s winning and that speaks enough. We have to give credit where credit is due so if that’s the case, that will definitely be respected for sure.”

On if Deontay Wilder is a priority:

“That guy’s been a professional since 2009. I started boxing in 2008. He’s been a professional a year longer than I’ve been boxing my whole career. He needs these fights. It’s a different ballgame. The only thing that’s given me credibility is the fact that I’ve gone and unified the division. He doesn’t need to have a remarkable performance or fight any household name because he’s been doing this for so long.

“I think the reason why he’s more desperate is because boxing writers have called him out. Who’s the next person on the list? Attach your name to the best brand in the business and people will listen so he’s just calling me out because he knows I’m the hot take in the business right now. He’s just doing what any businessman would do. I look at my situation and say after this Takam situation, what does the WBA say about a mandatory situation? Only God knows what could happen with my situation. I always look at it from a realistic point of view.

“I’ll fight Wilder next year and make it a priority 100 percent. There’s no doubt about that. But I’m going to be real and say these are the reasons why he’s probably doing what he’s doing. It could potentially happen but maybe not the next fight I have because of certain mandatories. Or do I just say I’m going to give up my belt because it’s what he wants or what I want? We have to make a careful decision in the making of this fight.”

EDDIE HEARN, Joshua’s Promotor, Matchroom Boxing

“We’re just over a week away from another huge event as Stephen [Espinoza] said. Seventy-five thousand people at the biggest indoor boxing event in Europe of all time. It’s going to be an incredible atmosphere and just a wonderful night of boxing. I think with Floyd’s [Mayweather] departure from the sport, he is unquestionably the biggest star in the world of boxing. The amount of interest in him has been incredible. We will of course thank SHOWTIME after the sixth episode of Anthony Joshua’s world championship career. Thank you to Stephen and all the guys at SHOWTIME and their effort. It’s extremely valued for myself and Anthony. And for the fight next week, Carlos Takam replaces Pulev. Anthony’s been training for a 6-foot-5, full-ranging awkward guy and now we have a 6-foot-2 little guy who’s going to come at you non-stop. Jabbing, punching, overhand right, hook, relentless pressure. He’s going to come across Anthony Joshua looking absolutely the best he’s ever looked in camp. We can’t wait for a wonderful show.”

On his desires to bring Anthony Joshua to the U.S. to defend the heavyweight title:

“He’s definitely on the radar. Like Anthony said, it’s definitely part of the scrapbook to be produced in the years to come. If you want to try and change the game and break down boundaries, that includes America, Africa and the Middle East as well. It’s hard to leave the UK with 75,000 to 90,000 people compared to what the U.S. is. But Anthony Joshua is a global brand. He’s not British heavyweight champion, he’s a world heavyweight champion. The key now is to get the win on October 28 and then in the weeks that follow, put our plans together for 2019 and hopefully America is included in that.”

On if working with Danny Jacobs changes his work with Joshua and if he anticipates Joshua staying on SHOWTIME despite Deontay Wilder’s connection to the network:

“Absolutely. We appreciate the way they’re building Anthony Joshua’s brand. Matchroom Boxing is one business and Anthony Joshua is another business. Anthony has involvement in our U.S. business as well. Ultimately, this is the channel that he fights on. He’s not dependent on Matchroom Boxing USA. We’ll do the right thing for Anthony.”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, Executive Vice President & General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports

“This will be the fifth Anthony Joshua fight that will be telecast on SHOWTIME here in the states. We’re very proud of our association with A.J. and with Matchroom and it is part of giving fans the biggest fights and the best fighters. A.J. definitely fits that criteria. He is without a doubt the consensus No. 1 heavyweight in the world. We last saw him in April in a thrilling, career-defining fight and knockout of Wladimir Klitschko in front of a record crowd of 90,000 people. That fight was broadcast in over 150 countries, including live in the U.S. on SHOWTIME. On Oct. 28 we expect another spectacle of similar scale. He’s got an experienced challenger and we expect a rabid crowd of 70,000 and we are proud to bring it you on SHOWTIME starting live at 5 p.m. Eastern and 2 p.m. Pacific.

Unified Heavyweight World Champion Anthony Joshua worked out for the media on Tuesday in Sheffield, England, as the undefeated British sensation continues preparation for his showdown against IBF mandatory challenger Carlos Takam on Saturday, Oct. 28 at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT live on SHOWTIME from Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.

“This is a must-win for myself and for Carlos Takam,” Joshua told Sky Sports, which will present the fight in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports Box Office. “As much as my supporters want to see me win, there are still a few people who doubt me and want me to lose and disrupt our plan. They don’t want to see the cream rise to the top.”

Joshua (19-0, 19 KOs) is not taking Takam (35-3-1, 27 KOs) lightly, and said he feels added pressure taking on a new opponent on short notice as Takam replaces the injured Kubrat Pulev.

“Twenty wins, 20 knockouts ain’t bad, but boxing’s unforgiving. So don’t ask me what you do for your 21st fight,” Joshua said. “I can’t afford to lose, and I don’t want to lose.

“Boxing is a sport that’s unforgiving in a sense that if Takam beats me, that loss will stay on my record for a lifetime. That will always be my legacy. It will not be, ‘Oh, he was a world champion, and he did well for the sport of boxing.’ No, no, no, no no. It would be, ‘He’s 19-1.’ That’s the new legacy and I just don’t want that blemish on my record right now.

“I’ve known about Carlos Takam for a long time and he’s a very, very well-rounded fighter. He’s been moving his way up the IBF rankings, so I’ve always had my eye on him anyway.

“I think Eddie did a great job to have someone in place in case these mishaps happen. And when I heard the news I was fighting Takam, of all people, he’s a very strong, game fighter. This is his chance to kind of shock the world.

“Takam is already as tough as they come. He’s so tough. He just keeps on walking forward, and that’s disheartening for a fighter.

“When I’m in there with him, it will be interesting to see how game and ready he is, and what fire he is ready to go through.”

Carlos Takam has replaced Kubrat Pulev as the IBF mandatory challenger for Anthony Joshua at Principality Stadium in Cardiff on October 28, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Frenchman Takam is rated at number three with the governing body and has been on the hunt for a showdown with the British star, and gets his golden chance at ripping away Joshua’s titles in the Welsh capital after Pulev picked up a shoulder injury in sparring.

“I received a call from Kalle Sauerland late afternoon to inform me that Pulev had injured his shoulder and maybe ruled out of the fight – this was later confirmed by his doctor,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “IBF rules state that the mandatory will go to the next fighter in line which is Carlos Takam.

“When the Pulev fight was announced I made a deal with Takam’s team to begin camp and be on standby for this fight. When I called them this evening they were overjoyed and good to go. It’s a difficult position for AJ having prepared meticulously for the style and height of Pulev, he now faces a completely different style and challenge in Takam – this hasn’t happened in his career before but he is ready for all comers on October 28.”

Joshua’s clash with Takam is part of a huge night of action in Cardiff where the 2012 London Olympic Gold medal man’s bitter foe Dillian Whyte aims to take a giant step to his first World title shot by facing Robert Helenius for the WBC Silver strap.

Kal Yafai defends his WBA Wold Super-Flyweight title against Japanese mandatory challenger Sho Ishida and Irish sensation Katie Taylor challenges for her first World title as she takes on two-weight World champion Anahi Esther Sanchez for the WBA Lightweight crown.

There’s a mouth-watering British and Commonwealth Light-Heavyweight battle between Frank Buglioni, Lenroy Thomas and Dave Allen rematch for the Commonwealth Heavyweight title and Team GB Olympian and Welsh talent Joe Cordina appears in his fifth pro outing.

A limited number of tickets remain on sale via www.StubHub.co.uk.

Accessibility, ambulant and wheelchair tickets – please contact the Principality stadium via 02920 822432 – also on sale from midday Tuesday.

Official hospitality packages are available to purchase directly from Principality Stadium Experience. Both private suite and premium lounge packages are available to purchase, with prices starting from £450 per person + VAT. For further information please call the team on 02920 822 413.

Official Travel & Hospitality packages are also available via Sportsworld via www.sportsworld.co.uk or by calling 0208 9712966

Please ensure you plan your travel into the city before purchasing your tickets and allow plenty of time for additional security checks at the venue – please visit http://www.principalitystadium.wales/events/v/joshua-v-pulev-2017-10-28 to view the travel page for the event.

Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing are delighted to announce a deal with talkSPORT radio for four huge fight nights – including Anthony Joshua MBE’s World Heavyweight title blockbuster with Kubrat Pulev in Cardiff.

talkSPORT’s deal kicks off in style tomorrow night as they provide live commentary from the Manchester Arena of Anthony Crolla and Ricky Burns’ Lightweight blockbuster, with recent World title challenger Luke Campbell MBE providing expert analysis on a fight that he’ll be looking at the winner as a future foe.

Belfast is next on the schedule as Northern Ireland hosts it’s first ever World title unification bout as hometown star Ryan Burnett puts his IBF Bantamweight title on the line against WBA Super king Zhanat Zhakiyanov on Saturday October 21.

A week later, Cardiff takes centre-stage in the boxing world as the sport’s biggest star Joshua takes on Bulgarian Pulev in front of a record-breaking crowd at Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, with the bumper bill also featuring World title fights for Kal Yafai and Katie Taylor.

Finally, talkSPORT take their position at ringside at The O2 in London for the hotly-anticipated rematch between Tony Bellew and David Haye, as the bitter Heavyweight rivals tangle again on Sunday December 17.

Liam Fisher, National Radio controller, talkSPORT said: “We are hugely excited to be extending our commitment to live sport with these four fights. With World champion Anthony Joshua, David Haye, Tony Bellew and more we have some of the biggest and best fighters on talkSPORT. This complements our 500 live football games on talkSPORT and talkSPORT2 and we promise some heavyweight coverage across the station.”

“I’m delighted to team up with talkSPORT for four huge fight nights,” said Hearn. “We start in Manchester this weekend with the big England v Scotland clash with Crolla vs. Burns then we are off to Belfast for the World title unification clash between Burnett and Zhakiyanov.

“The end of October sees boxing’s biggest star Joshua return to the ring and we close out the year with the big rematch between Bellew and Haye. Fight fans know where to tune to follow the live action and all the support programming around the fights.”

NEW YORK – September 21, 2017 – SHOWTIME Sports® will close out a banner year of world-class boxing with back-to-back Saturdays featuring heavyweight world championship fights live on SHOWTIME. The network announced today coverage of unified heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua’s upcoming WBA and IBF world title defense against top-rated mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev on Saturday, October 28 live on SHOWTIME from Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.

The October 28 SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will be the first of two heavyweight world title fights airing live on SHOWTIME on consecutive Saturdays, with WBC World Champion Deontay Wilder set to defend his title against undefeated contender Luis Ortiz on Saturday, November 4. Both main event bouts will air live on SHOWTIME as the network concludes a robust 2017 boxing campaign that will have featured 22 world championship fights, 16 bouts matching fellow undefeated fighters, three world title unifications, three world title rematches and the emergence of three bright young stars (Errol Spence Jr., Gervonta Davis and David Benavidez) as they earned their first world titles.

With the addition of Joshua vs. Pulev, four of the consensus top-five heavyweights in the world will compete on SHOWTIME in consecutive weeks. Joshua vs. Pulev and Wilder vs. Ortiz will be the ninth and 10th heavyweight world championship bouts to air live on SHOWTIME in the last two years.

“There’s so much to be excited about in the sport of boxing, and it all comes to a fever pitch on consecutive Saturdays this fall on SHOWTIME,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports. “This has been a great year for boxing. More specifically, it has been a great year for SHOWTIME boxing. There’s no better way to end it than with two major heavyweight world championship events. We are proud to be in business with the two biggest punchers in the sport, Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder, and the rest of the talented and hungry heavyweight challengers of today.”

Joshua, the undefeated British superstar (19-0, 19 KOs), exploded onto the world stage in April when he defeated heavyweight legend Wladimir Klitschko via a spectacular come-from-behind knockout. In the year’s leading Fight of the Year candidate, a bout that aired live on SHOWTIME, Joshua picked up the vacant WBA heavyweight title to go along with his IBF belt. Now, Joshua returns to take on the top-ranked IBF challenger in Pulev (25-1, 13 KOs) at the 70,000 seat national stadium in Wales.

Joshua, 27, has remarkably knocked out all of his opponents since turning pro shortly after winning gold in the 2012 Olympics. The Watford, England native won his first title with a second-round KO of defending IBF Heavyweight Champion Charles Martin in April 2016, earning a heavyweight belt in the fewest number of fights in more than 20 years. He has since successfully defended the title three times – against Dominic Breazeale in June of 2016, Eric Molina in December and Klitschko in April.

Pulev, of Sofia, Bulgaria, will be making his second attempt at winning the IBF world championship, having lost to Klitschko in his first try in November 2014. After that, his lone loss, Pulev quickly rebounded and became a two-time European champion with a win over Dereck Chisora. He also holds wins over two former world title foes of Klitschko in Samuel Peter and Kevin Johnson.

Joshua vs. Pulev is promoted by Matchroom Sport. Fewer than 200 tickets remain on sale via www.StubHub.co.uk priced at £300.

For more information, visit www.sho.com/sports, follow us on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

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A record breaking 70,000 tickets have been sold for the World Heavyweight title showdown between Anthony Joshua MBE and Kubrat Pulev at Principality Stadium in Cardiff on October 28, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Tickets have been snapped up by fans eager to see the biggest star in the sport meet his IBF mandatory challenger in his 20th pro outing as he hunts a 20th straight KO win – and the event has become the fastest selling sporting show at the stadium, and has beaten the record set when 63,000 witnessed the rematch between Muhammad Ali and Leon Spinks at the New Orleans Superdrome in 1978.

“It was another incredible day at the box office for Anthony Joshua as he continues to cement his place as the biggest draw in World boxing,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “The support he receives from the British public is incredible and has been an integral part of his success – the fans will be in for a great night on October 28 and we thank them all for their support.”

A star-studded cast line-up in support of Joshua’s clash with the Bulgarian, as Kal Yafai defends his WBA Wold Super-Flyweight title against Japanese mandatory challenger Sho Ishida and Irish sensation Katie Taylor challenges for her first World title as she takes on two-weight World champion Anahi Esther Sanchez for the WBA Lightweight crown.

There’s a mouth-watering British and Commonwealth Light-Heavyweight battle between Frank Buglioni, Lenroy Thomas and Dave Allen rematch for the Commonwealth Heavyweight title and Team GB Olympian and Welsh talent Joe Cordina appears in his fifth pro outing.

A limited number of tickets remain on sale via www.StubHub.co.uk priced at £40, £60, £200 and £300.

Accessibility, ambulant and wheelchair tickets – please contact the Principality stadium via 02920 822432 – also on sale from midday Tuesday.

Official hospitality packages are available to purchase directly from Principality Stadium Experience. Both private suite and premium lounge packages are available to purchase, with prices starting from £450 per person + VAT. For further information please call the team on 02920 822 413.

Official Travel & Hospitality packages are also available via Sportsworld via www.sportsworld.co.uk or by calling 0208 9712966

Please ensure you plan your travel into the city before purchasing your tickets and allow plenty of time for additional security checks at the venue – please visit http://www.principalitystadium.wales/events/v/joshua-v-pulev-2017-10-28 to view the travel page for the event.

Katie Taylor will fight for her first World title as she meets two-weight World champion Anahi Esther Sanchez for the WBA Lightweight crown on the undercard of Anthony Joshua MBE’s World Heavyweight title showdown with Kubrat Pulev at Principality Stadium in Cardiff on October 28, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Irish amateur sensation Taylor moved to 6-0 in the paid ranks with a fourth stoppage win in her US debut last time out in New York in July and saw off Nina Meinke in an eliminator for the WBA crown at Wembley Stadium in April as part of the supporting cast to Joshua’s epic win over Wladimir Klitschko.

Sanchez collected the vacant strap on Saturday night with a stoppage win over Argentine compatriot Cecila Sofia Mena in Buenos Aires, adding that to the IBF Super-Featherweight crown the 26 year old claimed in 2016 having moved up from Featherweight where she held the interim IBF strap – but Taylor is confident she will make her WBA Lightweight reign a short one and triumph in Wales.

“I’m delighted that the World title fight has been confirmed and on such a big stage as well,” said Taylor. “This is what I’m in boxing for to win World titles and be in big fights on big nights like this.

“Sanchez has won multiple World titles so I’m expecting a very tough fight but I definitely feel I’m ready for it and these are the kind of challenges I want.

“It’s such a great time for boxing right now to have these huge events. Boxing at Wembley on the Joshua – Klitschko card was a great experience and now to have the opportunity to become World Champion at Principality Stadium is very special and October 28 can’t come soon enough.”

Taylor challenges Sanchez on a bumper bill in support of Joshua’s showdown with Pulev, the third World title bout on the card as Kal Yafai defends his WBA Super-Flyweight title against unbeaten mandatory challenger Sho Ishida.

Frank Buglioni and Callum Johnson meet for the British and Commonwealth Light-Heavyweight titles, Lenroy Thomas and Dave Allen rematch for the Commonwealth Heavyweight title and Team GB Olympian and Welsh talent Joe Cordina appears in his fifth pro outing.

Tickets go on general sale at midday on Tuesday September 12 via www.StubHub.co.uk

Tickets for the event are priced at £40, £60, £80, £100, £200, £300 and £500 – with VIP tickets priced at £1500.

Accessibility, ambulant and wheelchair tickets – please contact the Principality stadium via 02920 822432 – also on sale from midday Tuesday.

Don’t miss out on tickets. Sign up now and add your delivery address and payment details on StubHub here

Official hospitality packages are available to purchase directly from Principality Stadium Experience. Both private suite and premium lounge packages are available to purchase, with prices starting from £450 per person + VAT. For further information please call the team on 02920 822 413.

Official Travel & Hospitality packages are also available via Sportsworld via www.sportsworld.co.uk or by calling 0208 9712966

Please ensure you plan your travel into the city before purchasing your tickets and allow plenty of time for additional security checks at the venue – please visit http://www.principalitystadium.wales/events/v/joshua-v-pulev-2017-10-28 to view the travel page for the event.

https://www.facebook.com/SkySports/videos/10155734496773762/

Lenroy Thomas and Dave Allen will rematch for the Commonwealth Heavyweight title at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday October 28, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

The pair clashed for the strap in Sheffield in May, with Thomas edging out Allen via split decision at Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane ground.

The Florida-based Jamaican comes to the UK for an immediate return with the Doncaster fans’ favourite, and the champion expects another great night in a huge stadium show, where he wants to stake his claim for bigger things in 2018.

“I’m looking forward to defending my title against Allen in Cardiff,” said Thomas. “He was a gentleman after the fight and I feel he deserves the rematch.
“As a champion, I have no issue fighting in his backyard again. The 75,000 fans in the stadium can’t fight for him.
“It’s a pleasure to appear on another Matchroom card, especially with the main event featuring Anthony Joshua defending his World Heavyweight title. It should be another electric night and I’m looking to continue my reign as the Commonwealth Heavyweight Champion. My goal is to crack the top 15 world ratings after this fight and move toward a World title.”
Allen is gunning for revenge though and ‘The White Rhino’, who stopped Tom Dallas in three rounds in Essex in July to claim a 12th pro win, says defeat is unthinkable in his fourth spot on a huge Sky Sports Box Office bill.
“Since the result was announced in Sheffield, this is all I’ve wanted,” said Allen. “It’s all I’ve thought about in my spare time. I want to right that wrong. It haunts me, it was my night but I blew it and he fought out of his skin.

“I’ve watched the fight numerous times back. I underestimated Lenroy. It wasn’t the best fight in the world. It was quite physical and draining. He proved to be a tough man. I scored it very close, I did the forcing but he did the quality, eye catching work – It’s what you like but I have no arguments with the decision.

“I know what I’m up against now, it’s about putting the working in the gym. He took my night away from me, now I’m going to take his belt. There’s only one result this time. He’s woke up the beast. I’m a different animal all together now.

“I thought he would fold in the later rounds but he didn’t. Looking back, I took my foot off the gas in training in the build-up too. You can make a mistake once and you are a fool, but if you make the same mistake twice you are an idiot. It won’t happen again.

“‘The White Rhino’ is a Box Office Superstar. Four times in ten months, I’m living the dream but this time it’s my last chance. If I don’t win, where do I go from here? I don’t want to face that.

“It’s my first time fighting abroad! The support will be massive as always. It means a lot to me, there will be a very strong South Yorkshire contingent in Cardiff. They will take that Principality Stadium roof off with their noise.

“I needed a win and didn’t want to come into this fight off the back of a loss. So, we got back out quickly and got a win under our belt against Tom Dallas.

“For this fight, I’ll come in around 16 ½ stone. I was fit and in shape as an amateur and I haven’t been like that since I turned pro. There was a lot of fuss made when I was a kid with people saying I can fight. I’m going to get in shape for this fight.

“I’ve made a promise to myself and to my Dad, who has not been very well, he said to me: ‘This is it. This is your last chance’ – that’s struck a chord with me. On October 28 I’m going to perform my heart out. If I don’t my career is finished.”

Thomas and Allen’s rematch is the second fight to be added to the undercard of Anthony Joshua MBE’s World Heavyweight title defence against Kubrat Pulev after yesterday’s announcement that Kal Yafai will defend his WBA Super-Flyweight title against unbeaten mandatory challenger Sho Ishida and Frank Buglioni and Callum Johnson meet for the British and Commonwealth Light-Heavyweight titles.

Tickets for the event are priced at £40, £60, £80, £100, £200, £300 and £500 – with VIP tickets priced at £1500.

Tickets go on sale to Matchroom Fight Pass members at midday on Monday September 11 via www.StubHub.co.uk

Tickets go on general sale at midday on Tuesday September 12 via www.StubHub.co.uk

Accessibility, ambulant and wheelchair tickets – please contact the Principality stadium via 02920 822432 – also on sale from midday Tuesday.

Don’t miss out on tickets. Sign up now and add your delivery address and payment details on StubHub here

Official hospitality packages are available to purchase directly from Principality Stadium Experience. Both private suite and premium lounge packages are available to purchase, with prices starting from £450 per person + VAT. For further information please call the team on 02920 822 413.

Official Travel & Hospitality packages are also available via Sportsworld via www.sportsworld.co.uk or by calling 0208 9712966

Please ensure you plan your travel into the city before purchasing your tickets and allow plenty of time for additional security checks at the venue – please visit http://www.principalitystadium.wales/events/v/joshua-v-pulev-2017-10-28 to view the travel page for the event.

Tickets for the blockbuster Heavyweight World title clash between Anthony Joshua MBE and Kubrat Pulev go on pre-sale to Matchroom Fight Pass members at midday on Monday and general sale on Tuesday ahead of the October 28 event live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Joshua is back in action after his epic win over Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley Stadium, and the unbeaten British star now heads to Wales’ national stadium to face IBF mandatory challenger Pulev.

Tickets for the event are priced at £40, £60, £80, £100, £200, £300 and £500 – with VIP tickets priced at £1500.

Tickets go on sale to Matchroom Fight Pass members at midday on Monday September 11 via www.StubHub.co.uk

Tickets go on general sale at midday on Tuesday September 12 via www.StubHub.co.uk

Accessibility, ambulant and wheelchair tickets – please contact the Principality stadium via 02920 822432 – also on sale from midday Tuesday.

Don’t miss out on tickets. Sign up now and add your delivery address and payment details on StubHub here

Official hospitality packages are available to purchase directly from Principality Stadium Experience. Both private suite and premium lounge packages are available to purchase, with prices starting from £450 per person + VAT. For further information please call the team on 02920 822 413.

Official Travel & Hospitality packages are also available via Sportsworld via www.sportsworld.co.uk or by calling 0208 9712966

Please ensure you plan your travel into the city before purchasing your tickets and allow plenty of time for additional security checks at the venue – please visit http://www.principalitystadium.wales/events/v/joshua-v-pulev-2017-10-28 to view the travel page for the event.

Anthony Joshua MBE will defend his World Heavyweight titles against Kubrat Pulev at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on October 28, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Joshua returns to the ring following his epic battle with Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley Stadium in April where the Brit added the WBA strap to his IBF belt in an enthralling contest with the future hall-of-fame legend, climbing off the canvas to record an 19th straight KO win in front of a record-breaking crowd in London.

The unbeaten Olympic gold medal hero will now tackle his IBF mandatory Pulev, the Bulgarian rated number one in the IBF facing his second World title challenge having faced Klitschko for the IBF title in November 2014. ‘The Cobra’ became a two-time European champion after the fight with a win over Dereck Chisora, and the 36 year old picked up and defended the WBA Inter-Continental title with wins over two former World title foes of ‘Dr Steelhammer’ in Samuel Peter and Kevin Johnson.

“October 28 can’t come soon enough, I have been eager to get back in the ring since Wembley and now we are confirmed and ready,” said Joshua. “I’ll be locked away focusing on fight number 20 for the next eight weeks. I am excited to experience the atmosphere in a sold out Principality Stadium and aim to give the fans a spectacular night.”

“Anthony is a formidable opponent,” said Pulev. “We will not hug and hold, we will not run; we will stand and fight. His style fits mine perfectly and in boxing, styles make fights. My preparation will be very intense, and I will be perfectly ready when I enter the ring so that he will have no chance to beat me.”

“I’m delighted that we will be in Cardiff at the magnificent Principality Stadium for the next step of the AJ journey,” said Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn. “Nearly 80,000 will gather on October 28 to create another unforgettable night of boxing. Anthony will meet his mandatory challenger, number one ranked Kubrat Pulev and the card will be stacked with World championship action, domestic title fights and the very best young stars in the game. Get ready for the next episode from the biggest star in World boxing.”

“Anthony is a great champion and his last fight ignited the division,” said Pulev’s promoter Kalle Sauerland. “However, by his own admission, he is still learning and Pulev is not the sort of opponent you want to learn against. Kubrat and his train Uli Wegner – Europe’s most successful professional coach – have studied every weakness for the Cobra to strike victoriously.”

Mark Williams, General Manager at Principality Stadium which is owned and operated by the Welsh Rugby Union, said: “Our national stadium is a true Heavyweight when it comes to bringing major events to Cardiff and today’s announcement strengthens our status as a year-round, multi-events arena, in the heart of a city-centre renowned for delivering a Welsh welcome to visitors from around the world.

“This year we’ve hosted 400,000 plus visitors across UEFA Champions League Final, Speedway and the RBS Six Nations; two sell-out Coldplay gigs and Robbie Williams and Justin Bieber concerts. The Joshua-Pulev fight is guaranteed to another spectacle which, thanks to our Terraplas pitch covering, brings another world-class event to town two weeks before Wales’ Under Armour Series.”

An announcement on ticket prices and on-sale dates will be made this week and the first undercard fights will be released in the coming days.

Former Heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko has retired from boxing and thus turning down a lucrative rematch with Anthony Joshua, According to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“I deliberately took a few weeks to make my decision, to make sure I had enough distance from the fight at Wembley Stadium,” Klitschko said. “As an amateur and a professional boxer, I have achieved everything I dreamed of, and now I want to start my second career after sports. I would have never imagined that I would have such a long and incredibly successful boxing career. I’m very thankful for this. Thanks to everyone who has always supported me especially my family, my team and my many fans.”

“Especially after this terrific fight at Wembley Stadium it was a very tough decision for Wladimir to make,” longtime Klitschko manager Bernd Boente said. “But he has always emphasized that he wanted to retire if he didn’t have enough motivation anymore. Therefore this is definitively the right decision. Wladimir accomplished everything in his unique boxing career. He dominated the heavyweight division for over a decade. He fought in sold-out arenas and stadiums worldwide and millions of fans around the world watched his fights on TV. It has been a privilege for me to accompany Wladimir on this unique journey.”

“Wladimir Klitschko earned his right into the Hall of Fame years ago,” said Peter Nelson, executive vice president of HBO Sports, Klitschko’s longtime American broadcast partner. “His accomplishments in the ring will be immortalized in the record books. Outside the ring, Wladimir is well respected as a true ambassador to boxing and role model in sport, contributing vastly philanthropically as a leader of community activism and with a profound commitment to improving the lives of children worldwide. We are proud Wladimir and his team have been in the HBO Sports family for the majority of his 21-year career. We are excited for him and his family as he begins his next chapter.”

“Because of this choice, I’ve travelled the world, learned new languages, created businesses, built intellectual properties, helped people in need, became a scientist, entrepreneur, motivator, hotelier, trainer, investor and much else. I was and am still capable of doing all this because of the global appeal of the sport of boxing.

“At some point in our lives we need to, or just want to, switch our careers and get ourselves ready for the next chapter and chart are new course toward fresh challenges. Obviously, I’m not an exception to this and now is my turn. I’m honestly doing this with the greatest respect for the new challenges, but also with tremendous excitement, passion, dedication expecting and hoping that my next career, which I’ve already been planning and working on for some years, will be at least as successful as my previous one. “Finally, instead of just saying thanks and goodbye, I want you to continue to enjoy me in this new and exciting journey. When we’re together we’re more creative, more efficient, more productive and simply stronger in every way. Together we’re the driving force.”

World Heavyweight chamoion ANthony Joshua got an exception that would clear his path for a rematch with Wladimir Klitschko, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

The International Boxing Federation on Tuesday evening approved Joshua’s request for an exception to his mandatory defense against Kubrat Pulev in order to face Klitschko again with the organization’s title on the line, and it notified both camps.

Joshua-Klitschko II taking place by Dec. 2 should not be an issue, because the working date, although not set in stone, is Oct. 28. There is no set site for the rematch.

SAN DIEGO, CALIF. – May 9, 2017 – Kal Yafai says Anthony Joshua MBE has set a new benchmark for British fighters to follow as he prepares to make the first defence of his WBA World Super-Flyweight title against Suguru Muranaka at the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham on Saturday LIVE on AWE- A Wealth of Entertainment at 3 PM ET / 12 Noon PT.

For boxing fans who don’t have access to AWE, the fight will be available on the AWE channel on www.klowdtv.com

Yafai and Joshua are close from their days as Team GB teammates, and Yafai won the crown he defends on home turf this weekend on the undercard of Joshua’s win over Eric Molina in Manchester in December.

Yafai was unable to attend Joshua’s epic win over Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley Stadium last weekend, but the 27 year old was bursting with pride as Joshua KO’d the Ukrainian in the 11th round, and believes that Joshua has raised the bar higher than ever for British fighters.

“I was unbelievably proud and happy for Anthony Joshua,” said Yafai. “When he got put down I was very nervous, I was praying for him to get up and recover and that’s what he did. It showed what a World Champion needs to do when it gets tough in there.

“He has completely smashed it now, onto bigger and better things for him. The world is his oyster. It was such a hard and big fight. I’d like to see him fight Tyson Fury but it doesn’t sound like that’s possible to happen next. If he can get a defence for one of his Titles against a contender then move onto one of the other Heavyweights like Wilder would be great.

“I still see him regularly. We come on the Team GB squad together. He’s a good lad, one of the nicest people in boxing. He loves his boxing so much. He soaks everything up like a sponge. He just still wants to learn, he’ll get better and better as he goes on. I mean he’s still only young! Realistically a novice still. He’s a funny lad and good to be around. I’ve got a lot of time for him. He’s raised the bar now – beating Klitschko at Wembley is just massive, and it’s something that we’ve all got to aspire to.

“Winning the World Title on his undercard was great. It took me four and a half years going from amateur into the pro game and winning a World Title. Doing it on a massive show headlined by AJ was special. We are Eddie Hearn’s only two World Champions who he’s had from their debuts.

“I was very pleased with my performance that night. I had to do what I had to do. I stayed focused on my own game plan, even after he failed to make the weight. I got in there and done the business. I out boxed him for 12 rounds. I made it as easy as possible.”

Yafai’s World title defence is part of a huge night of action in Birmingham, where Sam Eggington challenges Cerefino Rodriguez for the European Welterweight title.

Yafai’s brother Gamal defends his WBC International Super-Bantamweight championship against fellow Birmingham man Sean Davis, Ryan Kelly and Adam Harper meet for the Midlands Area Middleweight Title.

Frankie Gavin is back in action in his first fight with trainer Jon Pegg, and there’s action for Lennox Clarke, unbeaten Olympian Josh Kelly, Kieron Conway, Aaron Lovell, Jordan Clayton, Charlie Williams and Cori Gibbs.

About AWE LIVE BOXING

AWE LIVE Boxing features live world title championship and elimination bouts showcasing today’s most exciting fighters. Since the inception of AWE’s live boxing events in 2011, AWE has featured over 50 world title fights.

AWE has brought boxing fans some of the most exciting and controversial bouts, including the matchup of Ricky Burns against Ray Beltran for the world title. AWE featured live and exclusively the crowning of American Terence Crawford over Ricky Burns. AWE fans have witnessed the explosive power of undefeated heavyweight Tyson Fury multiple times on the network, including Fury’s victory over Kevin Johnson. In 2017, AWE was the exclusive United States television provider of the historic matchup between legendary British heavyweight David Haye and Tony Bellew.

About AWE – A Wealth of Entertainment

A Wealth of Entertainment (“AWE”) features a wide range of lifestyles and entertainment programming from exotic travel and outrageous homes to live world championship boxing. AWE is available on over a hundred cable systems, including AT&T U-Verse, ch 147 and 1147 in HD, Verizon FiOS TV, ch 169 and 669 in HD. and DirecTV, ch 387.

For more information, please visit www.awetv.com. For additional information contact:

By Jimmy Tobin-

Heavyweights Anthony “AJ” Joshua and Wladimir “Dr. Steelhammer” Klitschko met before 90,000 or so strong at Wembley Stadium in London Saturday night and put forth a spectacle deserving of what national pride and expectations surged each man through the crowd and into the ring. It was Joshua who emerged victorious, ending Klitschko in the eleventh courtesy of a barrage born of a right uppercut likely to attend each man’s glory as a compliment from that moment forth. A proper heavyweight prizefight, delivered on the grandest stage—it is okay to feel good about that.

A word on what could have been. Joshua could have quickly cut down the 41-year-old former champion. There was proof enough in Klitschko’s recent performances to think he would go quietly. His unimpressive decision over debunked contender, Bryant Jennings, was evidence enough of slippage, though at the time that evidence was outweighed by a career of boring decisions against opponents with the audacity to strike back. Then there was Klitschko’s embarrassing effort against Tyson Fury, who lifted all of Klitschko’s hardware and much of his pride in 2015 and who has been an embarrassment in his own right ever since, reminding all that titles are made by the men who carry them.

Of course, there was nothing in Joshua’s résumé to indicate he was ready for Klitschko; the calculus for his victory drew primarily on his gaudy eye test scores and Klitschko’s deterioration. The aged Klitschko might’ve drawn Joshua into the type of fight the younger man had yet to experience, clutching and grabbing between right hands, waltzing dully the future of the division into limbo.

Instead, what transpired was drama the heavyweight division hasn’t offered in years, the type of fight that produces the rarest and often most painful of feelings in aficionados: hope.

As no such spectacle can be achieved without two willing participants it bears repeating that one of them was Klitschko; a man whose near decade reign was marked by dominance, yes, but also by the irreconcilable image of a 6’7”, 240-pound, chiseled specimen clinging desperately to men who would go willingly to their end should he only show the nerve to send them there. Yet in what might be his last performance, and almost certainly will be the last performance he could give of such quality, Klitschko was his most daring and inspired self, earning what his history never hinted at: a dignified defeat. For Klitschko to fight as he did required he suppress his strongest instincts and a decade of programming. He did not discover a more aggressive spirit or remove the patina of self-preservation—rather, he fought in spite of himself, fought remarkably, admirably, for as long as he could.

Yet did Klitschko momentarily heed the voices pleading retreat? Was it their warning that saw him squander a sixth-round knockdown and 100 seconds at arm’s length of an opponent dazed and temporarily exhausted? Perhaps. Perhaps it was timid old Klitschko getting the best of himself; but then, who is to say what the fifth round—a round likely to develop its own identity—took from him? Perhaps surviving a knockdown thirty seconds into that round and eventually turning the tide, battering Joshua as the round drew to a close took what fire Klitschko would have used to finish Joshua minutes later.

Either way, Klitschko pressed on to his own and Joshua’s glory. And that is for the better, not simply because of the quality of the fight—which was very good—but because those eleven rounds served to ratify the future, something Manny Pacquiao has yet to do, something Floyd Mayweather could not. The future, be it of the division, of boxing, of athlete earnings, looks like Joshua. And that can be said with greater confidence because of the quality of the challenge he faced. Had Klitschko folded at the first left hook it would be easier to still dismiss Joshua because it would be easy to dismiss Klitschko’s effort. But Joshua had to prove himself Saturday, and while he proved that there is some work to be done you cannot say he is a fabrication. Or perhaps you still can, because you are joyless, or committed to being contrarian, or have lost your love for boxing if not your obsession with hearing yourself speak about it.

Because Joshua is a reason to be excited. He crumpled from a perfect right hand delivered by a proven puncher, yet weathered not only that punch but all of the unknown awaiting him that night, and with the fight very much in the balance, stormed through his opponent to in the championship rounds. His chin is better than assumed, though his stamina is not, and his defense has holes, but he is a fast learner, evidenced by how few right hands Klitschko landed once Joshua figured out when to slip them. There is work to be done with Joshua, but it is not unreasonable to think that he will learn his craft turning back the best fighters in the division, which is almost all that can be asked of him. He will do so before crowds that would make American promoters, were they capable of embarrassment, blush.

There was his conduct in the aftermath of the stoppage, too. When referee, David Fields, wedged himself between the two fighters Joshua simply turned and walked away, no more than a brewing smile on his face even as his team mobbed him in jubilation; he is the anti-Wilder in that regard (and many important others). Joshua carries himself like a man who believes he is entitled to a success he cannot doubt is coming; the biggest win of his career merely confirmed what he believes of himself, which is why he responded to it as he did—without a hint of surprise. A champion constituted for his calling—it’s okay to feel good about that too.

By Bart Barry-

Saturday at Wembley Stadium in London, before a crowd of 90,000 or so, British heavyweight Anthony Joshua defeated by 11th-round technical knockout Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko to become the undefeated, undisputed heavyweight champion of the world – in an excellent and valorous four-knockdown brawl anticipated by nothing on Klitschko’s resume. Any impulses to lead a treatment of Joshua’s victory with Klitschko’s age or previous knockout losses to men unremarkable as Ross Purity or Corrie Sanders should be stayed by a paragraph or two, even if they weren’t just now.

What belongs at the top of any consideration of Joshua from this moment till the end of his career is that he became recognized as heavyweight champion the right way.

Perhaps Klitschko was no longer what we considered him in his 30s but he was still the best prizefighter above 200 pounds in the world – as there is nearly no doubt he’d’ve beaten Tyson Fury in a rematch the Gypsy King avoided shamelessly. Klitschko’s reign was, again, unremarkable as any in the modern era, a string of mostly mediocre performances against mostly mediocre opponents with occasionally some emphatic violence against an occasional, emphatically bad opponent. He left Saturday’s ring entirely diminished in physical stature if not legacy. Klitschko’s legacy was to remain the same, win or lose; he got dropped and stopped by, let’s see if it’s possible to get this right, A YOUNG HUNGRY LION and therefore will not rise in historians’ esteem anytime soon; but if Klitschko’d’ve won Saturday historians’d’ve moved him no higher in historic ranking because no one would yet know if it were feat or farce till Joshua revealed his true self in the decade that followed, sort of the way aficionados’ esteem for Fury underwent a nineminute revisionist fever after Klitschko dropped Joshua in round 6.

When Joshua tore out his corner to open the championship rounds, comporting himself like nothing so much as a champion, and Wlad’s legs got somehow stiffer in flight than they were in pursuit, my spirits lifted a touch. The hyperbole was en route, desperate as British fightfans are for a man who justifies their passions, but it was not going to be misplaced as other recent happenings like the Fury coronation. When Joshua’s right uppercut took Klitschko from Go-Go-Gadget neck to legless jitterbug and you knew there was no way a 41-year-old was getting to round’s end my spirits crested then fell then rose anew: It’s hard for a disinterested viewer to escape some sense of sympathy when a man enormous as Klitschko shrinks to a bony quivering thing, his physique transformed from ripples to lumps; that sight dropped my emotions and their descent got further weighted by what faux expertise was then sure to awaken and now does awaken – when every toughguy with a microphone or pen who abandoned boxing after Lennox Lewis tenderized Mike Tyson 15 years ago comes roaring back, old hungry lions they be, to tell us how much the new champion reminds them of their favorite old champion who reminded them of themselves and that time in the bar or backalley when they brought extreme justice in a bareknuckle violence orgy for whose storied perpetrator local authorities today continue their search.

A couple seconds of those thoughts, though, happily yielded to a sense of relief and gratitude; relief for the Brits in our legion, as no one save the Mexicans has done so much to keep our beloved sport afloat this last decade, and gratitude that our new face of boxing is so preferable to our last face of boxing. In the deafening cheers of 90,000 spirited Brits one heard many things among which was a crashing halt to the Money May era. Anthony Joshua is already better at every facet of prizefighting than Floyd Mayweather, with the exception of fighting itself – and Joshua’ll never be more than half as good at that as Mayweather, so it hardly matters.

(No, a 147-pound version of Joshua would not win a round against Mayweather, the same way a 130-pound version of Klitschko would not survive a round with 2005 Manny Pacquiao.)

One now halfway hopes Klitschko retires while splitting the other half of his hopes between an immediate rematch and a pasting of Deontay Wilder in PBC’s consolation league. Dancing Wlad lacked the movement and energy to dissuade Joshua for more than a halfhour and will fare still worse on the next go, but he’s still way too young and active to lose to “Wilder &” Wilder, which would make Joshua-Klitschko II an even bigger spectacle than Saturday’s was. Joshua, meanwhile, has no earthly reason to fight anywhere but London for the foreseeable future; in all of boxing only Canelo in Mexico City or Pacquiao in Manila could hope to sell half as many tickets as Joshua just did. There’s absolutely no reason for him to do Las Vegas or Madison Square Garden; he’s already larger than both those venues, and there’s not currently an American heavyweight who belongs in the same arena as him.

There’s much room for Joshua to improve as a prizefighter, but here’s to hoping he doesn’t; he’s good enough to ice any man in the world but not good enough to jab-jab-hold smaller men to decision victories. Joshua is perfect as he is right now. May he remain that way for a good long time.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

An encore presentation of Anthony Joshua’s career-defining knockout of long-reigning champion Wladimir Klitschko will air today/Sunday at 3 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME.

Anthony Joshua was crowed the king of the heavyweight division Saturday live on SHOWTIME as he unified the division with an 11th round TKO of Klitschko before a record 90,000 fans at London’s Wembley Stadium.

The telecast will air in Primetime on Monday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME and is available on SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and SHOWTIME ANYTIME®.

Joshua, who remained a perfect 19-0 with 19 knockouts, overcame the first knockdown of his career to successfully defend his IBF belt and pick up the vacant WBA title.

Joshua knocked Klitschko down once in the fifth and twice in the 11th before referee David Fields stepped in to protect the defenseless former champion at 2:25 of the penultimate round.

Anthony Joshua scored a thrilling 11th round stoppage over former world champion Wladimir Klitschko in front of 90,000 screaming fans at Wembley Stadium in London.

Joshua controlled the action over the first four rounds, as Klitschko did not throw much.

The fight started in round five, as Joshua came out with reckless abandon to start the round and landed some booming shots that hurt Klitschko.  Moments later, Joshua landed a combination that sent Klitschko to the canvas.   Klitschko was bleeding over the left eye. Joshua went in for the finish, but that proved show inexperience as he may have punched himself out, and Klitschko started landing and hurting the London native.  Joshua was winded and almost out on his feet as the 5th round ended.  In round six, Klitschko landed his  booming right hand that sent Joshua to the canvas.  Joshua was hurt badly and was barely able to make it out of round six.

Both guys landed some good shots over the next several rounds, until Joshua started in onslaught in the 11th round.

Joshua started it with a massive uppercut that rocked and stunned Klitschko badly.  Joshua jumped on Klitschko and landed big shots that sent Klitschko down.  Klitschko got to his feet, but dumped my more heavy shots again.  Joshua finished the fight by landing a flurry of punches on a defeated Klitschko, and referee David Fields stopped the bout at 2:25.

Joshua, 250 1/2 lbs of London is now 19-0 with 19 knockouts.  Klitschko, 240 1/2 lbs is now 64-5.

Follow all the action as Anthony Joshua defends the IBF Heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko in front of over 90,000 fans at Wembley Stadium in London.  The action starts at 4:30 PM ET / 1:30 PM PT / 9:30 PM in London and 11:30 PM in Kiev.

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Round 1: Joshua lands a right..Jab..left to the body..right to body..Right..Jab from Klitschko

Round 2:  Right from Klitschko..Jab from Joshua..Right

Round 3:  Uppercut from Joshua..Right..

Round 4:  Hard 1-2 from Klitschko..Right from Joshua..Jab from Klitschko..Right to body from Joshua…Right..Jab

Round 5:  Jshua lands a booming left KLITSCHKO IS HURT..BLEEDING OVER HIS LEFT EYE..HARD LEFT AND DOWN GOES KLITSCHKO…Hard left from Klitschko..Hard left..Big left..Joshua is hurt..Huge uppercut from Klitschko

Round 6: Big right from Klitschko…HARD RIGHT AND DOWN GOES JOSHUA…Huge left hurts Joshua..

Round 7 Jab from Klitschko..Right to body and left to head from Joshua..

Round 8 Jab to body from Joshua..Jab from Klitschko..another jab..hard jab..Jab from Joshua..Jab from Joshua

Round 9:  Jab from Klitschko..Good right from Joshua…left hook to the body..Nice right..Swelling under left eye of Klitschko..Shoe-shine body work from Joshua..

Round 10 1-2 from Joshua.Counter right..left-right..left hook..Big right from Klitschko..

Round 11:  Big right from Klitschko..Huge right from Joshua..Klitschko holding on..Short left hook..Huge uppercut..BIG RIGHT AND LEFT AND DOWN GIES KLITSCHKO..STRAIGHT RIGHT AND HUGE LEFT HOOK …KLITSCHKO IS DOWN AGAIN…LEFT AND RIGHT ON THE ROPES AND THE FIGHT IS STOPPED…WINNER BY TKO —ANTHONY JOSHUA

Joshua vs. Klitschko | Saturday, April 29
LIVE on SHOWTIME® at 4:15 p.m. ET/1:15 p.m. PT
From Sold-Out Wembley Stadium in London

Saturday’s HBO World Championship Boxing® telecast begins at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT.

The world heavyweight championship showdown features Anthony Joshua vs. Wladimir Klitschko before a capacity crowd at Wembley Stadium. Jim Lampley, Max Kellerman and Roy Jones Jr. will be ringside to call the action.

Official Weights from London:

Athony Joshua: 250.1 lbs.
Wladimir Klitschko: 240.5 lbs.

IBF Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua tipped the scale at 250 pounds and long-reigning champ Wladimir Klitschko measured 240 ½ pounds for their heavyweight blockbuster this Saturday live on SHOWTIME (4:15 p.m. ET/1:15 p.m. PT).

The ringwalks are set for 4:35 p.m. ET/1:35 p.m. PT with the first bell scheduled for 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT from sold-out Wembley Stadium where a record-setting 90,000 fans will witness the biggest heavyweight event in over a decade. SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® pre-fight coverage begins live on SHOWTIME at 4:15 p.m. ET/1:15 p.m. PT with all the grand pre-fight pageantry from London.

Referee David Fields, of New Jersey, will officiate the action while Don Trella (Conn.), Nelson Vazquez (Puerto Rico) and Steve Weisfeld (N.J.) will score the 12-round bout for Joshua’s IBF belt and the vacant WBA title.

More than 150 countries worldwide will televise the heavyweight unification.

“I’m only going to be myself – the fight is already as big as it can be,” said the 27-year-old Joshua (18-0, 18 KOs), who will make the third defense of his IBF belt. “There’s belts on the line, there’s legacy on the line, there’s 12 rounds of intense, ferocious boxing on the line. It comes with everything you want to see – boxing skills, power, timing. It’s just how long you can last and withstand each other’s abilities.

“I don’t hate Klitschko, I don’t dislike Klitschko, but I want to beat Klitschko. Someone is going to win and someone is going to continue with their career. And I’m very confident that’s me.”

The 41-year-old Klitschko (64-4, 54 KOs) has competed in 28 world title fights and is the second longest reigning world champion in history. On Saturday he will attempt to win back two titles that he held during his 11-year reign as heavyweight world champion.

“This is a big step for AJ,” Klitschko admitted. “He hasn’t fought this type of quality fighter yet. It’s going to be challenging for him, and it’s going to be challenging for me. This fight is 50-50, both fighters have a chance to win the fight, but I have this feeling that this is my night.”

By Norm Frauenheim-

The looming spectacle of 90,000 people at London’s Wembley Stadium Saturday for Anthony Joshua against Wladimir Klitschko is a sure sign that heavyweight boxing hasn’t gone the way of Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Heavyweight power frightens and fascinates. Always has. Always will. Yet, I still wonder whether it will ever capture worldwide attention the way it did for so long. From Jack Johnson to Joe Louis to Muhammad Ali to Mike Tyson, there was always a heavyweight who dominated an era with power or personality or controversy or all of the above.

In part, Joshua-Klitschko is being sold as the genesis of a new era, The Joshua Era. Maybe. I’m a little skeptical on that one. It’s still hard to judge the 2012 Olympic gold medalist. He’s powerful, but has yet to display the fluid delivery of punches and the agile footwork that identified so many of the great names in heavyweight history.

Klitschko has done enough to have his signature on his own era. The numbers are astonishing. He held a world heavyweight title for nine years, seven months and seven days, second only to the aforementioned Louis.

But mention the Klitschko era to just about anybody and – fair or not — they’ll tell you it was forgettable. It was, I think, because Klitschko simply couldn’t find an American rival. He tried, but that business partner just wasn’t there. No rival simply meant there was no reason to watch. Klitschko couldn’t draw in the U.S. He began to fight primarily in Europe. In the U.S., he became a footnote. The American focus was on Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao.

The closer we get to Saturday’s opening bell, the less certain I am that Joshua wins. He’s favored. I’m still picking him, picking youth to prevail over age. Joshua (18-0, 18 KOs) is 27 and Klitschko (64-4, 54 KOs) is 41. Enough said.

But I’ve seen old heavyweights rediscover a younger self in big fights. In terms of the Wembley crowd and worldwide attention, none is bigger than Saturday. Klitschko, who looked finished in losing to Tyson Fury 17 months ago, has never lost successive fights. He’s very capable of springing a surprise over the untested Joshua

Even if Joshua loses, however, he wins a rematch – and there are 90,000 reasons to do one. If not Saturday, Joshua will be the face of the heavyweight division sometime in 2017. Then what?

In a conference call Wednesday, Joshua talked about fighting in the U.S.

“I’ve made sure I fought some Americans on my way up, so we could get a buzz out there,’’ he said from London. “But I think I have to come out there for a fight for sure. That’s important.

“America is the mecca of boxing. If we can cross over into the States and keep the fan base in the UK, I think we’ve cracked it. That’s mega stuff. That’s global boxing. You’ve got a big guy, heavyweight with a name that’s easy to pronounce and speaks English well.

“I can relate to the U.S. market. All I have to do is get out there, show them what my trade is and hopefully they’ll appreciate it and hopefully we can start talking about setting up major fights and bringing the same attention in the UK to the U.S. That would be phenomenal.”

Deontay Wilder is the big guy he mentioned. It’s no coincidence that Wilder will be at ringside, doing Sky Sports commentary for a fight that can been seen live on Showtime (4:15 p.m. ET/1:15 p.m. PT). Wilder has a title (WBC). He’s a good talker. He has great power. He’s likable. But there are persistent doubts about his overall skill. Maybe, he gets better. If he doesn’t, however, there just aren’t many other American heavyweights in line behind him. Name one.

As I write this, I’m listening to the first day of the NFL Draft. It occurs to me that if Joshua had been born in the U.S. instead of the UK, he would have gone in Thursday’s first round, probably as a defensive end. All of America’s potential great heavyweights are in the NFL these days. Wilder had dreams about playing for his hometown Alabama Crimson Tide before he turned to boxing because he just didn’t have the athletic skill to play for college football’s perennial powerhouse.

I’m not sure the heavyweight division can ever be what it once was without a viable American in the business equation. Maybe, I’m wrong. Maybe, Joshua will prove me wrong. But he needs an American to help him do that. There’s only one and that’s Deontay Wilder. Otherwise, The Joshua Era could be about as forgettable as the Klitschko era.

LONDON (April 27, 2017) – Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko came face-to-face on Thursday at the sprawling Sky Headquarters in London as the two 6-foot-6 giants participated in a final press conference for Saturday’s blockbuster heavyweight world championship event.

SHOWTIME will televise the fight LIVE at 4:15 p.m. ET/1:15 p.m. PT from sold-out Wembley Stadium where a record-setting 90,000 fans are expected to be in attendance.

The 27-year-old Joshua (18-0, 18 KOs), who won the IBF belt in just his 16th professional fight, faces his toughest challenge yet in Klitschko but has “prepared since day one for this” and sees the future Hall of Famer as “just another stepping stone towards greatness.”

The 41-year-old Klitschko (64-4, 54 KOs), who has competed in 28 world title fights and is the second longest reigning world champion in history, is “obsessed” with winning back two belts he held during his 11-year reign as heavyweight champion.

Joshua and Klitschko will unify the heavyweight division as they meet for Joshua’s IBF World Championship and the vacant WBA World Championship. The event from Britain’s national stadium will be televised in over 150 countries worldwide.

The ringwalks are set for 4:35 p.m. ET/1:35 p.m. PT with the first bell scheduled for 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT. SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® pre-fight coverage begins live on SHOWTIME at 4:15 p.m. ET/1:15 p.m. PT with all the grand pre-fight pageantry from London.

Here’s what the fighters had to say on Thursday. Click HERE to watch Sky Sports coverage of the press conference on the SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/0wYEuEAMW94

JOSHUA:
“Even though this is such a great event, I always try to strip it down to what it really is and just focus that it’s just me and this man coming to blows and the best man will win. I’m not only prepared physically but mentally as well for any battle.

“April 29 is just another stepping stone towards greatness.

“Any fight is the right fight. I’ve never shied away from any fight, any opponent. I started boxing in 2008; in 2009, ’10, ‘11 I was in the World Championships, and in 2012 I was representing Great Britain competing to be the best in the world in the Olympics. It doesn’t matter who I fight. I just enjoy what I do and I just embrace every opportunity.

“I don’t underestimate any opponent. Through my mistakes I have learned and made myself right.”

Prediction:
“I win. It’s not complicated. Let’s not overthink it. This isn’t rocket science. This is just a fight. Let’s strip it right back to what it is – a young lion, ferocious, hungry, very determined. I left no stone unturned in training camp. We do talk about experience, but even when I was fighting guys with lesser experience I was preparing for this. I’ve prepared since day one for this.

“Carrying the belt hasn’t changed me as a person. I just want to represent myself the best way because I know behind me are a million people that walk the same path as me and come from the same background. I think I’m a representation of these people.

“This is another stop. You can’t sit down and enjoy the fruits of your labor. As you sit down on your throne there is always someone knocking on your door to take you down. For me, it’s just another stepping stone.”

On potentially celebrating after a win:
“You can’t deny it. This is epic. As much as I’m calm, when I look around and see how pumped people are for this fight it gives me energy, it gives me life. So it would be hard for me to hold myself together after such an amazing event.”

On this being a pivotal moment for the sport of boxing:
“Absolutely, this is 110 percent a pivotal moment for boxing.”

KLITSCHKO:
“Can you imagine my next opponent is going to fight a guy whose age is exactly the number of how long he has been in boxing – 27 years? Can you imagine that? It’s a pretty amazing task. Is it a degradation that I’m actually a challenger and underdog in this fight after 27 years in the sport? I don’t think so. I think it’s great.

“I’m the challenger again. I feel young, hungry, humble and totally obsessed with my goal to raise my hands again.

“I’m so obsessed with winning. I realized that life is a circle, and I see myself in AJ. I do believe I know how he thinks, how he goes, and how the actual fight is going to be.

“The belts are very important. I’ve been attached to these belts for a very long. I had those belts in my past fight, and I’m fighting for these belts in this fight. The only difference is in my last fight they went to the opposite corner. So my goal and obsession is for those belts to land in my corner, in my hands.

“Obsession is love in extreme shape. I’m in love with my goal.

“Defeat? I’ve been there, I’ve done that. I got up, shook it off and came back stronger. Just a little help (for Joshua) – there’s nothing scary about it.”

Undefeated IBF Champion Anthony Joshua hosted a media conference call to give his thoughts on Saturday’s heavyweight blockbuster between him and long-reigning kingpin Wladimir Klitschko live on SHOWTIME® (4:15 p.m. ET/1:15 p.m. PT) from sold-out Wembley Stadium in London.

The British sensation Joshua (18-0, 18 KOs) and Klitschko (64-4, 54 KOs) will unify the heavyweight division as they meet for Joshua’s IBF World Championship and the vacant WBA World Championship in front of record-setting 90,000 fans at Britain’s largest stadium.

Here is what Joshua had to say on the call on Wednesday:

ANTHONY JOSHUA:
“This is a good era for boxing so I try to live the life. Over the years when I started boxing until now I’ve been at training camp. The whole time I’ve been training it has been pretty beneficial, I’ve learned a lot. I’m not a perfect fighter but what I do do, I try to do well. I’m looking forward to the fight.

“If you’re asking about Saturday night, all roads have led to this and I’ve been training for a long time, I’ve stayed injury free. I’ve ran, I’ve sparred I’ve done my bag work and it comes to a stage in camp when I’m looking for the buy in now and that’s where I’m at really. Mentally, I’m excited.”

On how significant this fight is:
“For the sport in general, come on. For what UK-ers are doing supporting boxing globally, it’s massive. I also feel just to sell out the stadium without having to do the traditional entertainment to make a fight it just shows that kids can fight from different backgrounds …Where me and Klitschko are at, we don’t need to be trash talking and we are two half pieces coming together to lay it down on the line. It’s an amazing time for boxing in that sense that it’s mainstream. I’m not going to say win-or-lose, because the focus is to win, but it’s a massive benefit to Klitschko win-or-lose. Either he has another fight in him, or this time he’s done. I wish him all the best. I’m glad we got through training camp and we actually make it happen because as long as my heart was beating I still want to fight. I’m happy to be involved in such a mega showdown.”

Do you feel there is more pressure on you?
“Definitely not. I knew the significance of this fight before I took it. So I would never put that pressure upon myself if I didn’t want to deal with this pressure. I would have taken another route. But I want to fight guys in the division who are good. I don’t want to wait like eight years, nine years, six years before I start making a move on the heavyweight division – let’s get it on now. So if this is what comes with stepping up a level and a division I’m all for it. I’m not going to start saying ‘because I’m champion I’ve got pressure and I don’t think I’m going to perform.’ For me as a champion I don’t feel that pressure but I can relate to where he is coming from. As a champion you’re supposed to throw down like there’s no tomorrow so I’m not going to say because I’m a champion I’ve got so much pressure on my hands.”

How do you bridge the experience gap between you and Klitschko?
“I think it’s just destiny. I’m meant for this. I’m built for this. Let’s say we strip away what you just said, the excitement, the hype and just put us together. Go at it for 12 rounds, get down and dirty. I have the ability to come out on top and that’s how I take it. I don’t look at it like, ‘Oh my God, I’m fighting a guy who has been through it’, I don’t look at it that way. I just look at it as ‘I’m going to fight this guy called Wladimir Klitschko’ and we’ve got 12 rounds. I simplify it.
I practice boxing. Long range jab, jab to the body. I think I’m very capable of hitting someone continuously until they break down. So I think I’ll keep on plugging away, round 6, 7 and I should have him in a bad place. I just have to take the fight and break it down round by round.”

How will to deal with Kitschko’s reach:
“I’ve never fought him so I can’t say for sure. But what will I do about his reach? I’ve got my right hand to parry a jab, I’ve got my left hand to shield and protect me, to deflect his right hand. It’s no problem if he wants to grab. I can whip in a body shot and that would definitely slow him down. If you keep getting hit to the body at 41 that will take the fight out of anyone. On the outside I have got ways to deal with the majority of his shots. On the inside I just have to keep on swinging to the body and round-by-round I’ll start seeing an effect.”

What motivated him to take such a significant fight so early in his career:
“It was bound to happen. I felt the division needed it. I’m not doing it just for myself. I’m always about the industry. A lot of my friends from the amateur system have a chance to express their skill on the undercard, and it’s a massive platform. I think, as I said, the division needed it … Wladimir Klitschko, Deontay Wilder, let’s keep it going. Let’s start mixing it up because we’re in the same division, and it’s our era. What type of era are we if we don’t come together and have some trilogies and bring some excitement. So I’m all for it and that’s why I really wanted to take the fight.”

When was the first time you saw Klitschko and thought you could fight him?
“Not until last year. In 2015 I wasn’t really focusing on fighting Klitschko. I was moving towards maybe after [Eric] Molina we could have done [Kubrat] Pulev as a mandatory and gone that route of dominating the European market, but the opportunity came up. It’s a big fight, it’s a good challenge and let’s get it cracking. As I said, it’s good for the division and the attention it has brought is phenomenal. I think it benefits everyone so let’s be a part of that, and let’s be at the forefront of this.”

On earning more money than Floyd Mayweather Jr.?
“Not in boxing. I don’t think I could do it in boxing. Outside, if I make the right investments I think I can because I have some highly intelligent people around me but I think in boxing I don’t think I will but I think there will be a boxer who can because Floyd Mayweather has definitely set the benchmark, and records are only there to be broken. So I think someone could definitely achieve that financial status. But for me, that’s not so much my goal to try to be richer than Floyd Mayweather. The heavyweight division is so different from the welterweight division in the sense that all it takes is one shot, it’s a lot tougher, a lot more wear and tear on the body so I think it’ll be interesting. I definitely think we’ll make money, there’s no doubt about that but I’m not trying to put myself on the same pedestal as Mayweather.”

When do you think Klitschko was at his best?
“When he fought Marius Beck. He was a bit of a bigger guy and he controlled him with the jab and the one-twos. Remember he went twelve rounds. So he had to control a bigger man who was potentially heavier and stronger and he controlled his boxing skill and I think that’s when he was at his best. As I studied him that’s when I saw him at his best so I have watched fights around that era.”

Do you feel it’s a miracle you’re here?
“Yes. I was talking about it with my coach today. If you would have told me – I’ve only been in boxing eight or nine years – if you would have told me eight years ago, ‘Listen son, if you walk through that door into the boxing gym you’ll do this, this, this, this and this’ I would have been like ‘yeah, right’. It’s been phenomenal and why we do all the promotional stuff and get involved in big fights is for motivational purposes. I know there’s some other kids that are going to come up and be phenomenal because he may have seen myself and my journey and wants to get involved in what we’re creating. I’m all for that. I love it. Today was my last day of training camp and I’m thinking now what am I going to do in my next training camp, how am I going to improve. I’m enjoying the journey. It has been fun, boxing is a good sport.”

What is your history in sparring with Klitschko?
“I’m not a gym fighter so I did not go to try to prove anything with the sparring. I mainly went to go to see how a champion sets up his training camp. While I was sparring, it was good. Wladimir is technical. He will try to maneuver you with his lever hand to put you in a position to throw his right hand. That’s what I got from Klitschko. He is patient, he was just trying to set me up so he could throw his shots and I was just working on moving, jabbing to the body, jabbing to the head and I would go back to the corner and Andy Breshear would say ‘stick it on the champ’ and I would say ‘no I’m not here for that, I’m not here to prove anything.’ I wanted to watch, I wanted to analyze. That’s what I got from sparring with him. To learn how he operates in the ring and I learned how a champion sets up training camp.”

On the strength of Klitschko’s chin:
“He’s got a good chin. How long has he reigned, 10 years? Yeah, he’s got a good chin. You can’t be a championship fighter for 10 years if you have a bad chin. That’s the thing about the heavyweight division, it takes one shot. All these fighters that we claim have got good chins are the ones who get knocked out by Wladimir, so he must be doing something right. I remember Samuel Peters had a granite chin but they still end up getting knocked out down the line and they don’t go on to do great things. So, regardless of the chin, I think he’s got something right that works.”

Opinion of Klitschko’s Career:
“He is underrated. Heavyweight boxing comes with bigger prize money, more attention. To stay that disciplined for that long is a serious task. He and his brother have done well to reign for that long … I would want to go down as one of the greatest because I reigned for so long. No one could beat me for the last 10 years. It’s a good achievement and I would want to be recognized for that achievement.”

On potentially fighting in America:
“I think just fight Wilder, Gerald Washington, [Bryant] Jeninngs as well. These are the hotshots in America right now. I’ve made sure I fought some Americans on my way up so we could get a buzz out there. But I think I have to come out there for a fight for sure that’s important.

“America is the mecca of boxing. If we can cross over into the states and keep the fan base in the UK I think we’ve cracked it. That’s mega stuff, that’s global boxing. You’ve got a big guy, heavyweight with a name that’s easy to pronounce and speaks English well. I can relate to the U.S. market. All I have to do is get out there show them what my trade is and hopefully they’ll appreciate it and hopefully we can start talking about setting up major fights and bringing the same attention in the UK to the U.S. That would be phenomenal.”

How much of a concern is Klitschko’s holding?
“The holding is natural. But what do you do when someone is holding? How do you fight them off? You bring in the upper cut, you whip in a right hand to the body until the ref tells you to break. It’s a fight so I can’t prevent the holding but it makes it interesting to see what fighter does when they’re being held. When I’m being held I’m just going to throw the right hand to the body, left hook to the body and that will start taking the wind out of Klitschko.”

On Klitschko’s last fight against a British fighter David Haye:
“I think my fights will be entertaining. It is important for me to be entertaining. It’s not only winning, but it’s about how you win. I’ve always tried to go in there and perform to that level. It would be sweet to go in there and knock Wladimir out, because that’s what heavyweight boxing is about. So that would be sweet. I’m not into the 12-round boxing.

“David Haye was up against it because you had Klitschko, who was a champion. Emanuel Steward, who trained the champion. Then you had David Haye, who wasn’t a champion and Adam Booth, who wasn’t a heavyweight championship trainer. He was up against it and he found it tough. It just showed that the bigger, stronger man would win. He just got the job done and that’s what led him to here. He got the win and I’m happy or we wouldn’t be here right now.”

The most-anticipated world heavyweight championship fight in more than a decade will take place across the Atlantic before more than 90,000 fans at Wembley Stadium in London when WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: ANTHONY JOSHUA VS. WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO is seen SATURDAY, APRIL 29 at 11:00 p.m. (ET/PT) on HBO. The HBO Sports team of Jim Lampley, Max Kellerman and Roy Jones Jr. will call all the action, which will be available in HDTV and closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired.

Boasting a heavyweight title belt and perfect pro record, British sensation Anthony Joshua (18-0, 18 KOs), 27, faces his biggest professional challenge when he squares off against one of the most decorated fighters of this generation. Emerging on the international boxing scene with a gold medal-winning performance at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Joshua has been on the fast track since turning pro in 2013.

Wladimir Klitschko (64-4-0, 54 KOs), 41, from Kiev, Ukraine, and now residing in the U.S., turned pro after his gold medal win at the 1996 Summer Olympics. The dominant heavyweight for more than a decade, he’s enjoyed two title reigns, the more recent lasting over nine years. Klitschko’s last fight, in Nov. 2015, was an upset loss to Tyson Fury that ended a 22-fight win streak, but he will have the edge in experience against the youthful power puncher Joshua.

The upcoming bout marks Klitschko’s 22nd HBO fight and 29th world title bout; he first appeared on the network in July 2000 when he handled Monte Barrett with a seventh-round TKO. Joshua is making his HBO debut.

Immediately following the fight, HBO Sports presents the premiere of Face Off With Max Kellerman: Canelo/Chavez Jr. at approximately 12:15 a.m. (ET/PT).

Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.

All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.

The executive producer of WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is Rick Bernstein; producer, Dave Harmon; director, Johnathan Evans.

The ringwalks for Saturday’s Anthony Joshua vs. Wladimir Klitschko heavyweight blockbuster event are set for 4:35 p.m. ET/1:35 p.m. PT with the first bell scheduled for 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT from Wembley Stadium in London.

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING pre-fight coverage begins LIVE on SHOWTIME at 4:15 p.m. ET/1:15 p.m. PT with interviews with Joshua and Klitschko, exclusive, in-depth features and live coverage of the grand pre-fight pageantry at Britain’s largest stadium. National anthem performers and musical guests will be announced later this week.

Veteran sports broadcaster Brian Custer will anchor the live SHOWTIME coverage from Wembley Stadium with the voice of SHOWTIME Boxing, Mauro Ranallo, calling the action alongside Hall of Fame analyst Al Bernstein, former world champ Paulie Malignaggi and unofficial ringside scorer and 2017 Boxing Hall of Fame inductee Steve Farhood.

Anthony Joshua is an undefeated British sensation. He has knocked out all 18 of his professional opponents (18-0, 18 KOs) and has sold out his last five fights in some of Britain’s biggest venues—Wembley Stadium, The O2 (three times) and Manchester Arena—totaling 159,000 in attendance.

Klitschko (64-4, 54 KOs), the long-time heavyweight world champion, has fought in 28 world title fights. His most recent reign at heavyweight ran from 2006-2015 making him the second longest reigning world champion in history, behind only the legendary Joe Louis.

Joshua vs. Klitschko stands as the most significant heavyweight fight in more than a decade and will be contested in front of a record-setting 90,000 fans at Wembley. At stake are Joshua’s IBF World Championship and the vacant WBA World Championship, two titles that Klitschko previously held during his 11 year campaign as champion. The winner would be the unified heavyweight champion of the world.