Big venue will help: Joshua
WELLINGTON: Anthony Joshua believes familiarity with the Cardiff fight venue hands him a decided advantage over Kiwi Joseph Parker in their heavyweight unification showdown.
Fronting the first major prefight press conference in Sheffield, unbeaten Briton Joshua (200) believes his history at major British venues puts him on the front foot for the March 31 fight.
Parker (240) has fought in front of crowds of about 10,000 people, mainly on New Zealand soil, on his way to securing the WBO title.
Since becoming IBF heavyweight champion two years ago, Joshua has became familiar with vastly bigger audiences.
He won the WBA belt by beating Wladimir Klitschko before 90,000 supporters at Wembley.
His most recent fight in October was a win over tough Frenchman Carlos Takam, at the same Principality Stadium where he will face Parker.
The famous rugby venue is expected to again host a sellout of about 80,000 fans.
‘‘I know the ring walk, I know the changing room. I just know what it is like to be victorious,’’ Joshua said.
‘‘I know how to deal with a lot of distractions of being in an audience so big and how to entertain people.
‘‘A happy fighter will perform a lot better.’’
Joshua expects to weigh 112kg for the fight, about 3kg lighter than when he beat Takam in the 10th round to make it 20 stoppages out of 20.
‘‘I should be a lot quicker and outwit him,’’ he said.
Joshua was a relaxed figure, laughing off potential contentious issues, such as when asked about the ‘‘king of steroids’’ jibe levelled at him by Parker in the buildup.
‘‘A happy fighter is a good fighter,’’ he said. — NZN