Anthony Joshua’s long-awaited US debut draws ever closer, and tonight we can bring you the weigh-in LIVE from New York.
Joshua takes on Andy Ruiz Jr at New York’s Madison Square Garden in the early hours of Sunday morning, with the Mexican having taken on the fight on six weeks’ notice following Jarrell Miller’s failed drug test, lacks the gravitas of some of the venue’s past battles.
It may not be the fight fans were hoping for, with calls for Joshua to face Deontay WIlder in a heavyweight unification bout.
Writing in his fight diary for the Evening Standard today ahead of the fight, Joshua called out Wilder tom come and face him 'man to man'.
“Fair play to Ruiz, who stepped up when many others have not, he is a talented fighter and I respect him,” wrote Joshua.
“We made some high-profile and lucrative offers to other fighters after Miller dropped out, including to Cuba’s Luis Ortiz, but Ruiz Jr was the only one who came forward and signed the contract.”
“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.”
Watch the Anthony Joshua fight weigh-in LIVE STREAM in full here, courtesy of MatchRoom Boxing.
