‘Under pressure’ Joshua promises to find a way against Povetkin

Anthony Joshua has admitted to feeling under “tons of pressure” ahead of his latest world heavyweight title defense against Russia’s Alexander Povetkin at London’s Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

Joshua, the 2012 Olympic champion, will be fighting in front of his home London crowd as he looks to extend his unbeaten professional record to 22 consecutive wins when he puts his International Boxing Federation, World Boxing Association and World Boxing Organisation titles on the line.

The fight sees Joshua returning to the scene of arguably his greatest triumph, an 11th-round stoppage of former champion Wladimir Klitschko last year.

But he will be under particular pressure to deliver this time around. Many boxing fans had hoped this weekend would see Joshua up against World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder.

Negotiations with the American’s camp have proved fruitless, although whether that’s the fault of Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn, Wilder’s management or some combination of both - the often protracted nature of talks before a ‘mega fight’ actually takes place makes it difficult to say. Joshua is not the ‘only show in town’, either domestically or internationally.

Joshua’s last fight saw the 28-year-old taken the distance for the first time in his professional career, but he secured a unanimous decision over New Zealand’s Joseph Parker in Cardiff in March.

“There’s loads of pressure; tons of pressure,” Joshua told a Wembley news conference on Thursday. “That’s the reality.

“You’re calm and collected but underneath it all it’s the reality. We both know what we are in for. It’s the same with every fight.

“What more can I do than give my best? I’ll go out there and find a way to win.”

Joshua added: “I know I have a lot of fire in my belly; that’s just as important as skills.

“Skills and technique apart, we both have a big heart and can dig deep. We both showed that against Klitschko (who beat Povetkin on points).

“The one who’s toughest will come out victorious.”

A crowd of some 80,000 is expected at Wembley and Joshua said: “Coming back is a blessing – it’s time to put on a performance.

“This is not new to me, this feels like home.”

The night Joshua outpointed Parker at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, Povetkin demonstrated his considerable punching power on the undercard, with a fearsome fifth-round knockout of Britain’s David Price.