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Boxing

Anthony Joshua: I want to steamroll Kubrat Pulev

Alexander Netherton
Anthony Joshua: I want to steamroll Kubrat PulevDAZN
World heavyweight title holder Anthony Joshua has declared that he wants to "steamroll" his mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev in their Dec. 12 event.

Four-belt heavyweight Anthony Joshua is keen to fight WBC champion Tyson Fury next year.

Both men are expected to fight in December 2020 but many are already looking over the horizon toward a potential unification fight in 2021.

The IBF, IBO, WBA and WBO champion will first take on Kubrat Pulev on Dec. 12. Joshua is due to fight Oleksandr Usyk at some point next year in a mandatory defence of the WBO belt, but he may vacate that title in order to facilitate a fight against Fury.

Meanwhile, Fury wants to fight on Dec. 5 after missing out on a trilogy bout against Deontay Wilder. 

The pair had been due to meet in order to complete a rematch clause after Fury beat Wilder last February, but after numerous complications Fury has declared he has "moved on" from the fight. Although his UK promoter Frank Warren confirmed that his boxer’s next fight will not be against Wilder, he suggested that a fight could ultimately be agreed further down the line.

The Fury vs. Joshua fight depends in many respects on them both winning their next fights, but Joshua is unconcerned with Fury’s plans.

"The situation with him and Wilder, now he's up in the air, what he's doing," Joshua said, speaking to Sky Sports.

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"It's just a bit of a circus going on. When it's solidified, you'll hear it from me. Until then, I'm not really into the whole circus act and trying to promote my name off his back and him doing the same. I'm keen to fight him for sure, he's a competitor in my division. A good one as well. It will give me a chance to showcase what I'm about as well."

After losing his belts to Andy Ruiz Jr. last year, Joshua is careful to avoid complacency against Pulev.

"I had my little slip-up last year," Joshua admitted. 

"We've brushed it off and we've got the belts back and now I'm going to go out there and get back on the gravy train and fight the likes of Fury 100 percent.

"But without getting past Kubrat Pulev, who is a serious competitor and challenger, there aren't no talks of Tyson Fury and stuff like that. It's a tough game I'm in, because as I said it's the pot of gold at the end of rainbow, but before that I've got to navigate my way through and Pulev is a big old heavyweight standing in the way of that pot of gold.

"I'm still very hungry and disciplined, so I want to steamroll through him. That's the fighter's talk coming out. With that being said, it takes a lot of training in the gym and that is what training camp is about."