Joshua warns Pulev
LONDON. — Anthony Joshua has warned Kubrat Pulev that “I just want his soul” ahead of next month’s world heavyweight boxing title fight.
Britain’s world champion shared the stage with Pulev at their first press conference ahead of their fight at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on October 28.
Joshua offered words of respect for his experienced Bulgarian challenger, but is determined to extend his world title reign and issued a chilling warning to Pulev.
“Kubrat Pulev had 300 amateur fights. He’s had near enough 30 professional fights and he lost one to the former heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko,” Joshua told Sky Sports News.
“He’s talented, he built himself up to world championship level. He got knocked down, he stayed active, he’s had wins since then — that was his only defeat and now he comes to face me.
“He wants what I have and I just want his soul, so let’s get it on October 28.”
The unbeaten 27-year-old admits he learned lessons from his dramatic win over Wladimir Klitschko as he climbed off the canvas to halt the former heavyweight king at Wembley in April.
But Joshua insists he is willing to engage in another brutal battle if necessary.
“I was definitely looking forward to Klitschko [rematch]. He’s retired and I wish him well, and my journey doesn’t stop, so this is the next step now, a mandatory challenger,” said Joshua.
“I didn’t want to give up any of these belts. I worked very hard to be in this position, so here we are October 28.
“I’m standing in the centre circle where the ring will be and I want to go out there and show some finesse and some skill, but if I have to go to war and go to the trenches, let’s go.”
Joshua has also vowed to demonstrate a newfound “finesse” against Pulev.
The IBF and WBA “super” heavyweight champion believes he proved his toughness by outlasting Klitschko in a back-and-forth fight earlier this year, but now wants to exhibit new skills on October 28 at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.
“I’m looking forward to expressing a different approach to my boxing skill,” Joshua said on Monday at his pre-fight press conference alongside Pulev. “That was a new experience that I went through in my last fight (against Klitschko).
“Now I’ll show what I learned from my last fight when I get the chance on October 28. It’s about finesse, it’s about out-classing your opponent. But if I need to go to war, then I’ll go to war.
But I could do it with ease, as well.
“It’s about what [type of] fight the [opponent] brings to the table. Sometimes I can be smart and wise, and take an opponent out without taking too much punishment.
“Sometimes you have to go to the trenches. That’s something that can’t be taught. That’s part of your character. We showed that we’ve got that in abundance.
“As soon as the fight was over on April 29, the question was: what’s next?”
Pulev is the mandatory challenger to Joshua’s IBF title but with commitments lingering to next fight the WBA’s equivalent, the unified champion has no intention of vacating either belt.
“We ain’t ducking, we’re firing back,” Joshua said. “We want to keep these belts and, to do that, you have to fight the good fighters. They are stepping stones. Each challenge that presents itself is another hurdle.”
Joshua also said that he wouldn’t have any trouble rediscovering the excitement of his Wembley win over Klitschko.
“It’s no problem to get energised,” he said. “We haven’t taken our foot off the gas since 2008 - it’s been championship after championship. Here we go again.”
Meanwhile, Joshua’s trainer Rob McCracken claimed that they would improve upon the flaws on display against Klitschko.
McCracken said: “Anthony is learning and developing constantly as a fighter. “It’s about Pulev — his strengths, his weaknesses and trying to exploit them. Anthony is a quick learner — he knows the mistakes he made in the Klitschko fight.”