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Anthony Joshua gave a bizarre interview ahead of his fight with Otto Wallin on Saturday night – giving some blunt answers as he enters ‘fight mode’ before the Saudi Arabia showdown.
The British heavyweight is facing a massive clash against the Swedish fighter in Riyadh as part of the epic Day of Reckoning card – which also features Deontay Wilder vs Joseph Parker and Daniel Dubois vs Jarrell Miller on the same night.Â
Joshua knows victory will likely set up a huge fight with Wilder next year – but first he must see off the threat of Wallin, who has only lost once, against Tyson Fury on points.
AJ has looked very focused in the Middle East but while speaking to the media he came across as a little frosty as he refused to give too much away.
Queensbury PR man Dev Sahni – who Joshua clashed with during an awkward press conference last month – kicked off the interview by asking him if Saudi Arabia was quickly becoming the home of boxing after his third fight in the country.
Anthony Joshua gave a frosty interview ahead of his fight against Otto Wallin on Saturday
The British heavyweight gave blunt answers as he insisted he was ‘focused’ on the fightÂ
Joshua replied: ‘I’m not sure, you tell me.’
He was then asked what he has made of the capital city, and he kept his answer brief yet again.Â
‘I’m just focused really, I haven’t seen much of it. I’ve just been in the gym and then back to my hotel.’Â
Former pro boxer Andy Clarke then stepped in and asked him if his approach to fight week had changed at all.
‘Process gets better,’ he said. ‘You learn more – just lock in and fight. I just focus fully.’Â
Joshua is up against a tough opponent who has lost just once in his career – to Tyson FuryÂ
Clarke then asked him if he had ‘retreated into fight mode’, AJ responded: ‘Correct.’
Joshua kept it short and sweet again when asked if he would throw a right hand straight down the middle at Wallin, he said: ‘100 per cent. Definitely.’
He remained blunt when asked about Jarrell Miller, saying: ‘He’s a drug cheat,’ before a long awkward silence. When quizzed about whether he’d fight him, he said: ‘No, definitely not. No way. Him and Dillian [Whyte] would make a good fight.’
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Miller’s fight against Joshua was scrapped in 2019 after he tested positive for banned substance GW501516. Further tests showed he tested positive for Erythropoietin and growth hormone HGH. Whyte, meanwhile, saw his fight with Joshua cancelled this year after returning an adverse finding.
There was another long pause in the interview before AJ asks, ‘All good?’ and making his exit.Â
This isn’t the first time fans have seen a cagey Joshua after he refused to answer questions from Sahni – who speaks on behalf of Queensbury boss Frank Warren, the head of his rival promotional company – at a press conference last month.Â
Joshua knows victory is likely to bring him a lucrative bout against Deontay Wilder (R)
Sahni attempted to speculate on Joshua facing Jarrell Miller after the pair exchanged heated words, but Joshua snapped back: ‘You’re not my promoter to judge me on my career.’
Sahni then asked AJ about his upcoming fight, but the Watford-born star was having none of it and urged Hearn to pose him the questions instead.
‘Why isn’t Eddie asking me questions,’ he said. ‘You’re my promoter.’
Hearn then proceeded to take over the questioning to take over to cap off an awkward exchange.
Joshua gave an exclusive interview with Mail Sport this week where he discussed his fight against Wallin and the perception he struggles against southpaws after back-to-back losses against Oleksandr Usyk.
‘It will be really good. It will be entertaining, tough, gruelling, challenging. I will rise to the occasion. My goal is to have my hand risen at the end as well. I will rise to the challenge and that will lead me to having my hand risen at the end.
Joshua said he had entered ‘fight mode’ as he looks to climb back to the summit of boxing
‘At the end of the day, no one is here forever. Many great fighters have come before me. I am just happy within myself and what I am doing. I’m not trying to prove myself on that front.
‘I got beaten by one of the best southpaws in the world. Could I have done better, 100 per cent. Will I do better if I have another chance? Yes. But, I just got beaten by a better fighter than me on the night.Â
‘It’s not that I struggle with southpaws. I struggled with the opponent on the night. Otto Wallin is a completely different opponent. Let’s just see how we get on this Saturday night.
‘It’s like saying people who have five losses on their record against orthodox fighters struggle against orthodox fighters. It’s not that they struggle against orthodox fighters, it’s just that the people they are fighting at the time are better than them. It’s a narrative but I just believe Usyk was better than me on the night.’
