joshua klitschko in heavyweight
Last Updated : GMT 09:07:40
Egypt Today, egypt today
Egypt Today, egypt today
Last Updated : GMT 09:07:40
Egypt Today, egypt today
Sports » Run

Joshua, Klitschko in heavyweight

Egypt Today, egypt today

Egypt Today, egypt today Joshua, Klitschko in heavyweight

Britain's Anthony Joshua (L) sizes up Ukraine's Wladimir Klitschko
London - Arab Today

Heavyweights Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko meet Saturday in a bout which pits the young and seemingly invincible champion against the ageing and deposed former title-holder.

The Briton's International Boxing Federation title and the vacant World Boxing Association belt will be disputed in the most significant heavyweight fight ever to be held in Britain, which will reportedly earn the pair upwards of £10 million ($13 million, 12 million euros) each.

Joshua, 27, has shown no signs of strain in dealing with the scale of Saturday's bout.

A crowd of over 90,000 -- Britain's largest attendance for a boxing event since 1939 -- is expected at London's Wembley Stadium, with millions more watching on television in over 140 countries

"It's a military mindset," said Joshua, the 2012 Olympic gold medallist. "I'm a fighter. I'm not caught up with the entertainment."

Joshua does not even see this as being the most important fight he will ever have.

"I don't think so, because it won’t be the end of my career," he explained.

"When he (Klitschko) gets beat that could be the end of him, that’s why it could be defining for him."

- 'No denying Father Time' -

Joshua believes he will be too young and sharp for his 41-year-old opponent, who has not boxed for 17 months.

"He will probably start fast because he won’t be able to keep the pace,” Joshua said. "Father Time is something no one can deny. Father Time is genetic."

Meanwhile England-born Joshua, whose parents are from Nigeria, said he would be able to cope with the biggest crowd seen in British boxing for decades.

"Don't get me wrong all of us face nerves when we fight and this is a stage I haven't faced before, the attention, amount of people," said Joshua, who has knocked out all 18 of his professional opponents.

"But when it boils down to it, you get lost in the fight. I don’t think it becomes an issue that there are so many people there, once you are well engaged with your opponent," he explained.

Klitschko (64-4, 53 KOs) is fighting to show he is not finished after turning professional in 1996 following his Olympic gold medal success earlier that year when Joshua was aged seven.

- 'My event' -

The Ukrainian was last seen in a ring when outboxed in a defeat by Joshua's compatriot Tyson Fury, which ended his reign as champion of nine-and-a-half years, in November 2015.

Klitschko, who saw Fury twice pull out of a re-match, is banking on his greater experience being a decisive factor. While Joshua has never been beyond seven rounds, Klitschko has been 12 rounds nine times.

"Experience is something that you cannot buy in a shop, you gain it over the years," Klitschko said.

"In the fight, people could be in great preparation and great spirit and I've seen that they crumble like a cookie right before the first bell," added Klitschko, bidding to become a three-time world heavyweight champion like his older brother Vitali, Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis and Muhammad Ali.

However, Klitschko did not downplay the task in front of him, saying: "I've never seen AJ (Joshua) as big as he is right now. He is as big as Arnold Schwarzenegger at his best."

Nevertheless he insisted: "I'm the man, this is my event and I'm the winner. This is my event even if he (Joshua) is home.

"It is not about Joshua’s style that makes me comfortable. It is about my own peace. Why worry? He’s a puncher. I’m a boxer that can punch."

Klitschko hopes his performance will boost the morale of his fellow Ukrainians.

"Ukraine is going through a lot of challenges, geopolitical and economical," Klitschko said.

"Those challenges make good motivation and, as Nelson Mandela said, sport has the power to change the world. In this crazy world, through sport you can clear people's differences."

source: AFP

egypttoday
egypttoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

joshua klitschko in heavyweight joshua klitschko in heavyweight



GMT 08:02 2015 Tuesday ,15 September

No snow: Californian water source at 500-year low

GMT 15:25 2018 Wednesday ,14 November

Friedrich Merz vows to steal half of AfD voters

GMT 06:53 2017 Saturday ,18 February

G20 foreign ministers vow to fight poverty in Africa

GMT 14:27 2017 Friday ,10 March

Hypercars mingle with station wagons

GMT 13:13 2011 Friday ,16 December

Hyundai i-oniq Concept for Geneva 2012

GMT 11:53 2011 Monday ,26 September

Guerrero: We’ve got Peruvians dreaming

GMT 18:17 2016 Sunday ,18 December

Iraqi warplanes bomb Daesh warehouses

GMT 16:54 2017 Sunday ,15 January

26 killed as Hadi forces push Houthis back

GMT 04:29 2016 Saturday ,25 June

A New Generation of Robots is Ready for the Market

GMT 12:31 2011 Saturday ,26 November

Google working on OnLive rival for Chrome OS

GMT 23:18 2017 Wednesday ,01 March

Dh4.2m lawsuit against George Wassouf thrown out

GMT 12:57 2018 Tuesday ,09 January

German industrial orders dip in November

GMT 07:18 2018 Sunday ,07 January

Palestinians mark Orthodox Christmas

GMT 02:09 2017 Sunday ,08 January

Downtown Dubai is a place to be on New Year’s Eve

GMT 06:32 2018 Wednesday ,03 January

A Weathered Penny appoints

GMT 10:14 2015 Tuesday ,11 August

Woman drowns in Dubai after father blocks rescue

GMT 13:51 2013 Friday ,25 January

Billy Bragg to get BBC Folk Award

GMT 00:30 2012 Thursday ,27 September

Causes of snoring in pregnancy revealed

GMT 08:30 2016 Sunday ,10 April

War photographer and mother, the woman

GMT 14:06 2012 Thursday ,26 July

Depression linked to artificial light

GMT 05:44 2011 Tuesday ,19 April

New hope for secretive rare animal

GMT 18:53 2012 Tuesday ,27 November

Radio host suspended over anti-Semitism
 
 Egypt Today Facebook,egypt today facebook  Egypt Today Twitter,egypt today twitter Egypt Today Rss,egypt today rss  Egypt Today Youtube,egypt today youtube  Egypt Today Youtube,egypt today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

egypttoday egypttoday egypttoday egypttoday
egypttoday egypttoday egypttoday
egypttoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
egypttoday, Egypttoday, Egypttoday