Anthony Joshua vs Wladimir Klitschko
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Saturday 29 April 2017
Wembley Stadium (Capacity: 90 000)
IBF heavyweight world title fight
Stadium in front of what is expected to be a post-war record boxing crowd of 90 000.
Joshua's procession to a world title, which was captured in just 34 career rounds when he floored American Charles Martin in 2016, has led to him being touted as the odds-on-favourite against Klitschko with most boxing fans.
Both are Olympic champions, but years of experience and time inside the ring separates them. Joshua won his gold medal in London 2012, but was only six when Klitschko topped the podium at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Klitschko himself claims he is 'obsessed' with regaining the IBF belt that Tyson Fury took off him in November 2015.
The Ukrainian was set to face Fury in a rematch in Germany until the fight was postponed after the British fighter was deemed to be ‘medically unfit’ to fight. Now he will take on Joshua who is 14 years his junior.
In terms of fight stats, Klitschko has 68 fights under his belt with 64 wins, 53 by KO and four losses while Joshua has 18 fights with 18 wins, all by KO.
Joshua was his career heaviest as he weighed in for Saturday's heavyweight unification clash with Wladimir Klitschko. The IBF champion Joshua tipped the scales at 17st 12lbs 2oz, 10 pounds heavier than Klitschko who weighed in at 17st 2lb 6oz.
Joshua has contested just 44 rounds as a professional, a tally surpassed by Klitschko in his last five fights alone with the 41-year-old Ukrainian hardened by 358 rounds as a pro which has spanned 68 fights and 64 wins in more than 20 years.
In the pro game Klitschko has felt the heat of a world title fight on 28 occasions while Joshua has only done so three times.
Moreover, the two fighters know each other quite well - Joshua travelled to Austria to train with Klitschko in 2014 when they sparred for 20 rounds.
What Joshua said ahead of the fight:
“I think Klitschko’s calculated. He’s called me ‘Little Bro’ from the day we were on Ringside, on Sky Sports, when we were probably never going to fight anyway. Now he says it and we’re fighting. I let it go over my head.
“Klitschko’s the first champion that I’ve fought. It is no problem. And this is where the respect comes into it. It’s fine. You could let ‘Little Bro’ get to you, but I don’t let it.
“I’m fine with all that stuff. He can call me little bro and all these things until the cows come home, and then I go and spank him out in a round, it’s kind of irrelevant.
“It is the start of a legacy. I think if Wlad wins, he will say to himself ‘I’m still the big bro’ but if he loses he will realise that the torch is changing hands. It is a completely different era. This is the start of, God willing - win, a new legacy, a new division of new up-and-coming champions.”
What Klitschko said ahead of the fight:
“The Fury defeat woke me up. After so many years I realised I was not as motivated. Maybe it sounds crazy, but it was good that I lost that fight and good that I'm the underdog for this one. It's nice being the challenger again. I have an adrenaline rush in my blood. I've been missing it. This time I'm obsessed.
“Any person or sparring partner that got into my training camp (referring to when Joshua sparred with him), getting a feeling for it, learning: it’s fine, I want people to learn from it and I’m happy to share. It’s definitely good for him, because he saw how a top athlete and champion is preparing.
“Anthony definitely adjusted it to his preparations. I think he did learn a lot. I’m also trying not to stand still, and I’ve been observing how he’s training, and how he’s getting ready, and he definitely has a professional team that works for him, to make him as strong as possible.
“Anthony: he is more than just 18 fights. He has more than just two title defences. I truly believe in his talent, he’s an amazing athlete and a good representative for the sport.
“If he’s going to win then I’ll congratulate him, and when I win I’ll help him to come back. I’ve done it a couple of times already.”
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