Champion reacts to taunts from Bulgarian challenger before what he thinks will be a career-defining fight at Wembley on Saturday night
World heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and challenger Kubrat Pulev had to be prised apart by security staff as the weigh-in ahead of Saturday night’s title fight at Wembley Arena erupted in a flurry of insults.
Joshua normally exudes a Zen-like calm going into his contests, but he was rattled by his Bulgarian opponent, who taunted the British boxer by claiming his reign was about to come to an end.
It became more a finger-wagging episode than punches thrown in anger, but Joshua said after the confrontation: “I would have clapped him on his jaw there and then.”
The rivals tipped the scales at almost identical weights – Joshua at 240.8lb to Pulev’s 239.7lb – but there the similarities ended. There has been no doubt who has enjoyed A-list status in the build-up to a contest that has been three years in the making and which had once been scheduled to take place in front of 80,000 spectators in Cardiff before Pulev withdrew through injury. There will be just 1,000 at Wembley on Saturday night.
Joshua, 31, has enjoyed an entire floor of the Hilton Hotel to himself, while the rest of the fighters on the bill, the media and even the promoters in the Covid bubble have been catered for as a group on two floors collectively.
At stake for Joshua are his three belts – those of the International Boxing Federation, World Boxing Association and World Boxing Organisation – and a hugely lucrative contest with fellow Briton Tyson Fury.
There is no doubt Pulev, 39, has got under his skin, but could he spring a surprise?
Pulev, who has 28 victories from 29 professional fights, has a long amateur pedigree, a very fine jab, a whipping right hand, or sometimes right lead, and favours going to the body with the left. He purports to impose himself. There is no doubt that Joshua must be on his mettle, win the battle of the jab, and begin to land his faster, heavier punches after a careful start.
Rob McCracken, Joshua’s head trainer, remains confident that Joshua will work Pulev out. “I think Pulev is a good fighter, highly experienced,” McCracken said. “He’s only ever lost to Wladimir Klitschko. He’ll bring challenges that Josh will have to figure out in the ring. Josh has worked really hard to combat that and instill his strategy and technique for Pulev.”
The plan from inside the Joshua camp appears to be to match Pulev’s jab in the opening rounds and detonate carefully with heavy single punches thereafter. They call it “chopping down the tree”. That said, most game plans are easily discarded in heavyweight boxing.
“I think heavyweight boxing shows you you’ve got to have discipline and be patient,” added McCracken. “One round at a time and don’t rush anything because it can backfire.”
This fight could not have been taken more seriously by Joshua, who had to rebuild his reputation after being knocked down and stopped ignominiously in the seventh round on his United States debut in Manhattan 18 months ago.
“I think this fight will define me,” the Watford-born fighter said. “People say I had more pressure on me in Saudi Arabia [in the rematch against Andy Ruiz Jnr when he won his belts back a year ago], but I feel I’m fighting for the championship. This is my fight.
“I feel more confident. In Saudi, there was massive pressure. If I don’t take this guy deadly serious, I’m giving him a chance to beat me. If I’m deadly serious, it’ll eliminate any chance for him to beat me.”
What McCracken respects about his fighter is his ability to front up when things go wrong. “When he was beaten by Ruiz it was tough, a real disappointment, but the rematch was agreed the next morning,” McCracken said. “Ruiz is a top heavyweight, but there was no doubt that AJ had the tools to beat him comfortably in the rematch. And he did.
“I think AJ is edgy. He’ll be a bit more dynamic at times once the pace slightly calms down – you know the first four rounds will probably be a bit frenetic. But once he gets the timing and range I think you’ll see him being really dynamic.”
That hints at plans for a stoppage, which is Joshua’s natural desire as a huge, physical enforcer. “I’ve been that destructive ever since I started boxing so, for me, I’m just going to do the job in the best way possible because, No 1, remaining champion is important, and, No 2, getting the win is – in whatever fashion. But I’m ready for a 12-round fight if that is the case. And if a shot lands and causes a lot of damage I will be looking to take him out. That instinct doesn’t leave me. Once a killer, always a killer. I sleep well.
“Certain people can’t sleep at night because they’re really tuned up, but I must be a good psychopath because I’m sleeping like a baby. I’m not worried. I do this. I’ll go in and fight today if I have to. No problem.”
Joshua’s mantra is about adaptability.
“I say the strongest don’t survive, the smartest don’t survive. The one who adapts to their environment does. That was a reflection of the Ruiz 2 fight.”
With a good win against Pulev, is Joshua ready for his heavyweight showdown with Fury next year?
“Anthony Joshua’s ready for anybody,” McCracken said.
The champion’s view? “I don’t want to talk about Fury too much. Saturday night is my night. And Kubrat Pulev is my only focus. I’m not worried about any comments from any heavyweight at the minute. Good luck to them all. Until I fight them they’re irrelevant.”
If the plan is executed perfectly, Joshua ought to claim victory by stoppage between rounds five and seven. It is time for a statement from the champion.