Before he can think about targeting Deontay Wilder’s WBC belt to complete his collection, Anthony Joshua must face a gruelling test against WBA mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin, with the two Olympic champions going head to head at Wembley Stadium.
Many had expected Joshua to take on Wilder after defeating Joseph Parker in March, but instead he will defend his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles against Russia’s Povetkin.
It will be a stern test. Povetkin has lost just one of his 35 fights, losing on points to the great Wladimir Klitschko in October 2013. Since then he has won eight consecutive fights, including a knockout victory over David Price on the Joshua-Parker undercard. Ominously, he has never been stopped.
Meanwhile Joshua will be looking to extend his flawless professional record to 22-0 in his third fight at Wembley Stadium. Follow the press conference below:
Live Updates
Please allow a moment for the blog to load.
