Anthony Joshua says a second defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr would be ‘catastrophic’ but has vowed to punish the champion in Saudi Arabia on Saturday night.
AJ will be hoping to avenge his shock June upset to the Mexican, when he was knocked down four times in Madison Square Garden, before the fight was called off in the seventh round.
For that fight, Joshua tipped the scales at 17st 9lbs 12oz (247.8lbs), but yesterday looked impressive as he weighed in at 16st 13lbs (237lbs).
Ruiz was a bulky 20 stone 3lbs, making him the second-heaviest defending champion in heavyweight history, behind only the 7ft Russian giant Nikolai Valuev, despite pictures appearing to show him looking trimmer.
The Brit knows a successive loss could have a detrimental effect on his career, but admits that thought has not even crossed his mind.
“It will definitely be catastrophic if I lose, but I’m not even thinking about losing,” said Joshua.
“It will be big business when I win. As bad as it would be if I lost again, it will be just as great when I win.
“They’re just opposite sides of the same coin and I just need to focus on what I need to do to win.
“A lot has been said since June. I’m not bothered, but I do know I’m going to punish him when he we go again on Saturday.”
The two are expected to make their ring walks at 8.30pm-8.45pm, with the main event scheduled to start at 9pm.
talkSPORT.com will have full coverage of the build-up and reaction to the fight plus a dedicated live blog of the night’s best bouts.
