At Wembley Stadium on Thursday afternoon, the boxing world saw a preview of what will prove to be a historic night for the fight sports world, as Anthony Joshua will face off against Alexander Povetkin in front of more than 80,000 people. In a press conference, Saturday night’s fighters gathered to discuss their preparation, what it will be like to fight at Wembley Stadium, and their predictions.
Photo Credit: Matchroom Boxing
Anthony Joshua
“We both have a big heart and we can dig deep, so that always turns out for a good fight. The one who’s toughest will come out victorious. When I look at this weight, he’s one of the lighter heavyweights, but that means he’s got a lot of speed and is a quick fighter. But I train against amateur guys that are just as quick as him… With a good fight, I’ll always find a way.”
Povetkin is one of my toughest challengers to date so that’s where my focus has been… My body has been broken down and rebuilt back up through this camp like never before.”
On fighting at Wembley Stadium:
“Coming back here is a blessing… This is home.”
Alexander Povetkin
“Anthony Joshua is one of the strongest in the division.”
On a prediction:
“I never try to say anything ahead of time, so you will see everything on Saturday fight night.”
Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Boxing Managing Director
“It’s an absolute honor to be back at a national stadium, Wembley Stadium, for another huge night of boxing. Four world champion belts on the line, 80,000 people out there singing and dancing trying to see if Anthony Joshua can continue to reign supreme as the No. 1 star in the sport.”
On DAZN making its U.S. debut:
“DAZN is a major move in the U.S. market, and it’s a must-have for fight fans.”
Joseph Markowski, DAZN SVP, North America
“DAZN is different and we will quickly become an absolute must-have for fight fans. Via our partnerships with Matchroom, Bellator MMA, the World Boxing Super Series and Combate Americas, we will deliver more than 80 fight nights in our opening 12 months – and we’ll deliver them for just $9.99 per month after a one-month free trial. Superb value, without doubt. And that value offering is immediate from this weekend. If you sign up for DAZN today, you’ll get 14 premium boxing and MMA events from DAZN in your free trial month. That is unmatched value for U.S. fight sports fans. Full stop.”
“Our entrance into the U.S. market has caused quite a stir. Since our launch announcement earlier in the year, we’ve seen other promoters and broadcast networks making their own grand announcements. It’s been a lot of fun to see how this has shaken up the community – because it only benefits fight fans as everyone steps up their game.”
Photo Credit: Matchroom Boxing
Participants from Saturday’s undercard also spoke with the press on Thursday.
• Sergey Kuzmin vs. David Price – Heavyweights
• Matty Askin vs. Lawrence Okolie – Cruiserweights
• Luke Campbell vs. Yvan Mendy – Lightweights
Sergey Kuzmin
“I’m happy to be part of such a significant event here at the arena. I’ve gone through very hard and tedious training, and I’ll demonstrate all that I’ve achieved during this training on Saturday night.”
David Price
“I can’t lose… The upside of winning this fight is life-changing so I’ll be going in there and doing whatever it takes to win.”
Luke Campbell
On his rematch against Yvan Mendy:
“This for me is a fight I’ve wanted the last three years. I’ve had a great training camp. Physically and mentally, I’m all there.”
Lawrence Okolie
“I have a lot of self belief because of the training I put in, and I know what I’m capable of. I’m looking forward to it – skill for skill will show that I’m on another level. My attributes are overlooked.”
For more information, fans can follow DAZN’s U.S. social channels: @DAZNUSA on Facebook, @DAZN_USA for Twitter, and DAZN_USA for Instagram.
