“I can’t afford a defeat because it would ruin the fight with Wilder and the prospect of becoming world champion for the third time. Possible failure would mean that I don’t have much of a future. But do I feel stressed and anxious about this? Not at all, I arrived in Saudi Arabia calm and confident. That's why I don't even think about failure. As in almost every fight, I enter the ring as the favorite, but although I consider myself a better boxer than Wallin, I am not thinking beyond this fight. He tries to get into my head, he talks a lot, but the more I hear from him, the better and more determined I feel. I see gaps in his boxing and am going to highlight every flaw. Looking carefully into his eyes, I enter battle mode, imagining his move. All that matters is winning and I will put my whole heart and soul into it. My goal is to cause damage to Wallin, whether in the first, fourth or last round. “I’m setting myself up for a knockout, that’s what I’m here for,” said the former two-time world heavyweight champion.
“This is the best tournament in the history of boxing and a Christmas gift for the entire boxing community. I fought Wallin twice at the Olympics and beat him twice. We also sparred recently, so I know what awaits me and I’m ready for it. Even if I had a bad day, which I rule out, I would still pass this guy. I’m just on a different level,” concluded Joshua.