Former World Champion, Wladimir Klitschko, is facing IBF champion, Anthony Joshua on April 29 at Wembley Stadium, and Wladimir is determined as never before.
“I am obsessed with winning this fight”, Wladimir Klitschko said at media event in Austria in front of about 50 journalists. “It’s important for me to prove to myself that I am able to defeat every man facing me in the ring. I am ready to walk a long and hard walk to show myself that I can master myself and can be proud of myself.”
He seems to enjoy his role as the hunter, as Bernd Boente, the Managing Director of the Klitschko Management Group, confirmed: “He is very relaxed, calm and focused. But this is only the calm before the storm. He is incredibly motivated to fight on this stage, the sold-out Wembley Stadium, and also to fight as a challenger for the first time in a long time. Sometimes I thought that he lost a bit of his motivation before. If you have to defend your title again and again and if you are the champion for more than nine years it’s an unbelievable burden. Today, I believe that Wladimir is feeling like a bird that has just left its cage and is finally able to fly again.”
Olympians Lawrence Okolie, Joe Cordina and Josh Kelly have been added the undercard for the Heavyweight blockbuster between Anthony Joshua MBE and Wladimir Klitschko on April 29 at Wembley Stadium Connected by EE, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
The trio represented Team GB in Rio last summer before turning to the paid ranks, with Okolie the first to make his debut and in spectacular fashion in Manchester earlier this month.
Kelly will make his pro bow next weekend in Glasgow on the undercard of Ricky Burns’ World Super-Lightweight title unification battle with Julius Indongo, while Welshman Cordina steps through the ropes for the first time for money a week later in Liverpool where Martin Murray and Gabriel Rosado top the bill in a tasty Middleweight battle.
One of the fighters will follow in Joshua’s footsteps and open the show, just like the London 2012 gold medal hero did in 2014 before Carl Froch knocked out George Groves.
George Foreman sees Joshua as slight favourite over Klitschko; says the boxing world will “flip out” if Wladimir regains the title!
Promoter Eddie Hearn revealed that the trio will draw lots ahead of the event, with the man that picks number one out grabbing the first spot on the bill while numbers two and three will be TV floats.
“I’m delighted to add these outstanding young fighters to a historic night of boxing at Wembley on April 29,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “In terms of platform and experience, there is no better stage for their career. It was nearly three years ago that Anthony Joshua kicked the night off at Wembley Stadium for Froch v Groves II and I believe all three of these fighters have the ability to headline there in years to come. We will draw numbers on fight week with the number one spot kicking off the night and the other two sitting tight for the knock on the changing room door as the huge 90,000 crowd begins to build.”
