Anthony Joshua: "Pulev Wants My Belts, I Just Want His Soul"

Joshua told Sky Sports: “Kubrat Pulev had 300 amateur fights. He's had near enough 30 professional fights and he lost one to the former heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko.

"He's talented, he built himself up to world championship level.

"He got knocked down, he stayed active, he's had wins since then - that was his only defeat and now he comes to face me.

"He wants what I have and I just want his soul, so let's get it on October 28."

Joshua added: “I was definitely looking forward to Klitschko [rematch]. He's retired and I wish him well, and my journey doesn't stop, so this is the next step now, a mandatory challenger.

“As soon as the [Klitschko] fight was over, the question was “when’s next?” and we’ve got a date set now,” Joshua said at a press conference at the Principality Stadium, where he will face Pulev in six weeks' time.

“I’m looking forward to expressing a kind of a different approach to my boxing skill because that was a new experience that I went through in my last fight.

“Now I can show what I learned from that.”

“I’m starting to understand that when people come to fight me, even if they put up a good account and they lay down, they’ll still get a pat on the back and told they’ve done well,” Joshua added.

“So I have to be prepared for the toughest of challenges moving forward.

“This fight isn’t a statement to anyone. It’s just me showing my coach that I’m listening to his instructions.

“As long as the old-time fighters are appreciating what I’m doing and my coach is appreciating what I'm doing, I’m happy.”

"I didn't want to give up any of these belts. I worked very hard to be in this position, so here we are October 28.

"I want to go out there and show some finesse and some skill, but if I have to go to war and go to the trenches, let's go."

http://www.skysports.com/boxing/new...-ahead-of-world-title-fight-with-kubrat-pulev