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Joshua says prepared to go to final bell against Pulev

Britain’s Joshua will start as clear favourite in front of 1,000 fans at Wembley Arena for the fight that was postponed in June because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m prepared to go to the final bell. I’m a 15-round fighter, not a 12-round fighter,” Joshua, who reclaimed his titles by beating Andy Ruiz in a re-match in Saudi Arabia 12 months ago, said at an amiable news conference on Thursday.

Joshua (23-1, 21 KOs) believes he’s a better person for having experienced his two-fight series with Andy Ruiz Jr. and plans to show that on Saturday when he faces mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev (28-1, 14 KOs) in front of a quarantined attendance of 1,000 fans inside London’s Wembley Arena

“I can carry my stamina, my boxing IQ, concentration and strength until the final bell.

“I will definitely get hit. He will get hit too. I’ll be the last man standing.”

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Pulev, 39, was prevented from fighting Joshua in 2017 because of injury but says he is ready to cause an upset.

“I have waited a long time. I knew this fight would come again,” he said. “Now I am healthy. I’m not 22 years old, of course, but I am ready now. I have everything to be champion.”

Joshua’s only defeat came against Ruiz in Madison Square Garden in June, 2019. That shock defeat, he insists, has made him into a rougher fighter.

“The pressure I went through last year was tough, made me mentally stronger, it made me grow a thicker skin,” he said.

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“What have I got to lose? I have everything to gain. Because I took a loss to Ruiz? That isn’t enough to change someone like me. I’ve got a lot of character.”

Pulev, like Joshua, has only one professional defeat on his card, a knockout by Vladimir Klitschko in 2014.

Joshua, who has not fought in England since beating Alexander Povetkin in 2018, said the fact that a limited crowd will be allowed in to watch the fight was not a factor.

“It will be good for the fans but I’m just focused on Pulev,” he said. “No disrespect to the fans but I’ve got a serious challenge and that’s all I’m thinking about.

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“When I win I can enjoy it afterwards.” (NAN)

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