Anthony Joshua insists he is not underestimating Mexican
opponent Andy Ruiz as he prepares to defend his unified world heavyweight crown
on US soil for the first time at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.
British star Joshua is an overwhelming favourite to extend
his unbeaten record against Ruiz, a late replacement for Jarrell Miller, who
withdrew from the bout after failing three drug tests in April.
Bookmakers are offering odds of 1/20 for Joshua to make Ruiz
the 23rd victim of a professional career which has seen him accumulate the WBA,
IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight belts since his gold medal at the 2012 Olympics.
But Joshua insists he is paying no attention to the
bookmakers as he prepares for a fight that he describes as an upset waiting to
happen.
“This is a banana skin fight for me in every aspect,” Joshua
said Thursday. “I’ve got to take Andy deadly seriously, I don’t overlook him at
all.
“I’ve got to respect him and his whole team. And I really
respect the fact that he put his name on the dotted line to take this
challenge.
“No matter what the odds or the bookmakers are saying,
Andy’s going to come in here and give me a real good fight and cause problems.
It’s down to me to outsmart and outmuscle him.”
Joshua, who has delivered 21 knockouts in his 22 victories,
will, however, be determined to deliver an explosive performance as he aims to
build a broader following in the United States on his American debut.
The Londoner hopes Saturday’s bout in New York will edge him
closer to an eventual superfight against either WBC champion Deontay Wilder or
fellow Briton Tyson Fury.
Fight fans have been left frustrated by the failure of any
of the world’s three top heavyweights — Joshua, Wilder and Fury — to make a
bout in the wake of Wilder and Fury’s spectacular draw in Los Angeles last
December which reignited interest in boxing’s prestige division.
The prospect of a swift unification bout between Joshua and
Wilder receded further on Wednesday, when WBC champion Wilder said he had
agreed a rematch with Cuba’s Luis Ortiz later this year.
That deal makes it unlikely that Joshua will face Wilder in
a ring anytime before 2020, although the Briton on Thursday said he had not
given up hope that the fight could still happen this year.
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com