Anthony Joshua Issues Warning To Charles Martin

Anthony Joshua has warned Charles Martin that he will be stepping into the lion's den on Saturday night. The American will make the first defence of his IBF heavyweight title in Joshua's favourite hunting ground of The O2.

The unbeaten 26years old is expecting Martin to receive a hostile reception at the sold-out 18,000 seat arena. He said “He has come over to the lion's den, UK boxing is alive. They like you, they get behind you 100 per cent. He's going to have to deal with that, going to have to deal with the heat. There will be thousands of people on Saturday night. They have got their song, it takes one person to start singing. No matter how big or strong you are, even Mike Tyson said he was scared as hell walking to the ring in his little documentary. Everyone feels the pressure, so he will definitely feel a different pressure with that negative energy being chanted down on him"

Joshua says his growing popularity will reach new heights if he adds the IBF title to his 2012 Olympic gold medal, joining Tyson Fury as a British world heavyweight champion. Joshua refuses to hold Fury in high regard, describing him as a 'clown' rather than a role model for the nation. he said “I can only be compared to the other guys out there really, Tyson Fury is a clown, David Haye is alright, David Price is a role model, but where Fury is at the top - I can only be compared to him. It's not a role or a character, I'm just who I am, and when you compare me to people in my industry - they need to calm down a little bit.