Anthony Joshua exclusive: Come and see me, Deontay Wilder, man to man, and let’s get this fight on

Fight Diary
Anthony Joshua31 May 2019

The longer Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder leave it to fight me, the harder it will be for the both of them.

I am learning more and getting more confident in my boxing ability. We are in the same era, same division, with the same goals and it has to happen. In every era, every challenger has faced each champion so these fights are a must and they will be global events.

A lot has been said about me fighting Wilder and Fury. In one interview this week, I said that after tomorrow’s fight against Andy Ruiz Jr, Wilder should come and see me, man to man, and we can get this fight agreed and confirmed. No promoters, managers or broadcasters in the room.

I know it is my job to concentrate on the boxing, not the boardroom, but it has got to a stage where I need to sit down and talk to this guy to find out what we need to do to make this undisputed fight happen.

Wilder has this week announced a rematch with Luis Ortiz, but all I know is that if I won tomorrow and then announced I was taking on Alexander Povetkin again, it would not be accepted. I don’t want to be negative towards Wilder, but let’s not rob boxing fans of a good fight.

In Pictures | Anthony Joshua vs Andy Ruiz Jr in New York | 30/05/2019

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He has not announced a date or venue yet, so God willing I get through tomorrow night and maybe he should come and see me.

As for Fury, we made offers for him to fight at Wembley Stadium on April 13, but they were turned down and, anyway, my focus has to be the road to becoming undisputed world champion, so I want that last belt off Wilder.

I have been asked if I will stay in the US to fight next, but I do not mind where I fight. The UK is my home base and where I was raised but, as a champion, you need to fight around the world. Fighting in the US is fine, home is fine, there is no problem where we go. My training camp has taken on a different dimension this time around.

We picked up my usual routine that I do in Sheffield and moved it all to Miami a few weeks early.

I must admit I was a bit sceptical of going to Miami, because of the risk of upsetting a good pattern, but my team did a great job bringing some character to the gym before I arrived by spray painting the walls and trying to make me feel at home — you can see it on my YouTube channel!

I could feel the lag doing my first session in the new gym in Miami — it took me a good 30 minutes to start feeling like the blood was flowing again and for the cobwebs to be blown off. The Miami element has been good, though, it has been different and something I think I will implement in future training camps.

As for tomorrow night, we should be in for a good fight. You can never fully comprehend what is in front of you, however you prepare.

I am going to try to limit my mistakes to make it an easy fight.

I’m confident in my own ability and I am going to try to get Ruiz Jr out of there in good fashion.

He is a good fighter, with a great amateur pedigree and 32 fights with only one loss. It’s not going to be easy, but he is coming to take what I have worked for. I am fully focused, but I also want to know what is happening next, I want it all now. I want to challenge the best.

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