Joshua-Klitschko
Englishman Joshua will bank at least £10m and the clash for the IBF, WBA and IBO heavyweight titles is set to break all UK records as the richest fight in British boxing history.
Promoter Eddie Hearn hopes the fight on April 29 could generate a record 1.5million pay-per-view buys on Sky Sports Box Office and be watched by a post-war record 90,000 crowd.
TV income alone is expected to worth well over £30m and it is set to dwarf Britain’s previous richest-fight, Froch-Groves II, also at Wembley in May 2014, which made £22m.
“Capacity-wise, this will be bigger than the Froch-Groves rematch,” said Hearn.
This is a unique fight — two Olympic champions, two guys at different stages of their careers.
“I think we’ve got the hottest prospect in world boxing against a legend in the heavyweight division.
“We’re looking to go to 90,000. I think we have permission for about 80,000 and then we have to speak to Mr Khan, the Mayor, to improve that, with some transport around it.”
Hearn claimed he finally agreed the fight with Klitschko just hours before Joshua stopped Eric Molina in three rounds on Saturday night in the second defence of his IBF crown.
KO king Joshua is now 18-0 as a pro and former champ Klitschko was one of the first to congratulate him in the ring.
Hearn then announced their clash to the 21,000 sell-out crowd at Manchester Arena.
Klitschko, who will be 41 by fight night, ruled as the world’s No 1 until losing to Tyson Fury 13 months ago and Joshua feels his snipers will target him whatever happens on April 29.
“If I beat him, people will say he is past his time,” he said. “If I lose, then people will say ‘This guy [Joshua] is a hype job’.
“It’s just a fight. If the winner is the No 1 heavyweight, then I will still have to go prove it again, and again, and again, and again. That’s why it won’t mean anything.
“When I’m done and look back on it all, I will be like, ‘Yeah I bossed this s**t’. But right now, you just keep going.
“You can’t just build yourself up and get carried away. Beat Klitschko and then they’ll say, ‘You have to beat [David] Haye, then [Cuba’s Luis] Ortiz, then Fury if he comes out of retirement’. So chill and just keep grinding away.”
Ironically, the 27-year-old fought Matt Legg, in just his second pro fight, on the undercard of Froch-Groves II.
It was in broad daylight, at 5.30pm, in front of just 3,000 people.
“I’ve boxed at Wembley before,” said Joshua. “It doesn’t matter to me if it’s 90,000 people or nine people. They are the same rules and regulations and I’ll have the same attitude to win.”
-UK Mirror
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