IBF heavyweight champion Joshua takes on Ukrainian Klitschko in London on April 29 and said he was ready for the next big step in his career when making his first appearance in front of the American media.
The pair appeared together at Madison Square Garden and in Times Square recently, where Joshua’s message remained the same before their showdown at Wembley in front of an expected record-breaking crowd of 90,000.
“I know I’m going to be facing the best Wladimir,” Joshua, 27, told Sky Sports. “I think the time is right. It may seem soon to people. This is my gold medal fight once again. I’m here for a reason. I’ll handle business the way I’ve always handled it. The goal is the same – to be victorious.”
Joshua won super heavyweight Olympic gold at London 2012 before winning all 18 of his professional fights by knockout. Klitschko, who will be 41 when he bids to reclaim a world crown, has not fought since he was beaten by Tyson Fury in November 2015.
“Good day New York, I’m still around!” he said. “This fight is the biggest stage I have ever fought. I think it’s the perfect time for both of us. In three years he’ll be too good and I’ll be too old. It’s a signature fight for boxing. I am obsessed with my goal to become three-time world champion.”
The fight is expected to attract the largest British boxing crowd for nearly 80 years. The bout is expected to attract a crowd of around 90,000 after promoters struck an agreement with Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, to lift a capacity cap.
Crowds for major sporting events at Wembley are typically limited to 80,000 in order for London’s transport network to run efficiently.
However, following consultations between the Mayor’s office, Network Rail, Transport for London and Wembley’s operators, Joshua and Klitschko’s hotly-anticipated contest is likely to match the record attendance for a fight on British soil.
“Sadiq urged me to bring the biggest fights to the city and I’m delighted to have the biggest fight in British boxing history at Wembley,” Eddie Hearn told BBC Sport.
Khan said: “I can’t wait to see the fight of the year here in London and it’s fantastic that a post-war record crowd will get to watch it at a world-class venue like Wembley. I’m delighted Transport for London and Network Rail have pulled out all the stops to make this happen so we can move 90,000 people around the capital quickly and safely.”
The current record crowd for a British fight is also 90,000, set by Len Harvey and Jock McAvoy’s bout at London’s White City in 1939.
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