Anthony Joshua has revealed that he is in Saudi Arabia to win ahead of his heavyweight bout with Otto Wallin.
The two boxers will lock horns at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on Saturday and Joshua was in no mood to mince word in the press conference ahead of the clash.
Joshua said: “I want to fight. I want to perform well. Put that pressure on myself.”
Advertisement
Joshua appeared not to be in the mood to allow any distractions in Riyadh on Saturday.
“I’m here to fight, I’m not here to party and get caught up in the glitz and glamour,” Joshua said.
“Of course I’m tense because I want to perform, I want to win. I’ve got that urge to win and I want to hurt my opponent as well.”
A win for Joshua could set up a blockbuster clash with Deontay Wilder, who is also involved in a bout with Joseph Parker in the co-main event.
Joshua added: “I can definitely window shop, I know where I’m going in my life. If I don’t get past this there is no future.”
“My first stop to getting to be three-time champion is putting in a demolishing against [Otto].
“I’m fully focused on this fight, I’m determined to win, and I’m determined to get back to my peak, if that’s what they want to call it.”
Wallin is also confident of pulling off an upset against Joshua.
“It shouldn’t even be a question,” he told TNT Sports. “Of course I’m confident, otherwise I wouldn’t take this fight.
“I feel like I’ve shown in the past that I’m a good fighter. I gave Fury a very good fight, and I take pride in my work.
“I’ve been working very hard to come to this place where I’m at now, and I’m just here ready to take full advantage of this opportunity.”
“I think he feels that he’s vulnerable…he knows that he can lose, and I feel like he’s fighting now not to lose, instead of fighting to win.”
Wallin’s only defeat came against Tyson Fury in Las Vegas in 2019.
Anthony Joshua’s last fight was in August whe he knocked out Robert Helenius in the seventh round.