Joshua faces the fight of his life
RESPECT: PRE-FIGHT TENSION AHEAD OF MASSIVE BATTLE
Anthony Joshua said he would be happy to take on any opponent – even King Kong – stressing he had no intention of vacating one of his heavyweight belts in order to avoid Oleksandr Usyk.
The British boxer will put his WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight belts on the line against the WBO mandatory challenger from the Ukraine in London tonight.
The unbeaten Usyk is a former undisputed world cruiserweight champion and could pose a tricky test for Joshua, with his skillset rated among the best in any weight category.
If the 31-year-old survives his title defence against Usyk, he hopes to finally face British rival and WBC champion Tyson Fury to crown an undisputed champion.
Usyk is bidding to become the third boxer after Evander Holyfield and David Haye to win world titles at cruiserweight and heavyweight.
Joshua weighed in 19 pounds heavier than Usyk ahead of the fight yesterday.
Britain's Joshua, 31, tipped the scales at 240 pounds (109kg), with the Ukrainian challenger coming in at a career-high 221.25 pounds.
The two combatants had an intense stare-down before smiles broke out and Joshua accepted Usyk's offer of a handshake.
Each fighter then turned to face the assembled media and a small crowd that had gathered at London's O2 Arena, taking turns to flex their muscles.
As well as his weight advantage, Joshua will have the edge in height and reach and is favourite with bookmakers, but Usyk's movement and overall technical
skillset from an awkward southpaw stance have led many seasoned observers to predict a close contest.
Joshua believes he is in the best shape and at the optimum weight to successfully defend his titles.
"I feel good," he told Sky Sports. "It could fluctuate, go lower, due to the styles of opponents, but I feel good at this weight.
"Maybe if I'm fighting a shorter, stronger guy I might bulk up a bit, but I've got a good fighter with his
legs, so I'm going to keep up with his footwork and hand speed and make sure I'm good right through for the duration."
The fight is expected to draw a crowd of more than 60 000 fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Usyk, 34, won heavyweight gold at the London 2012 Olympics and Joshua as a super-heavyweight.
Joshua took the fight after a potential bout with WBC champion Tyson Fury fell through. – AFP