Anthony Joshua vs Kubrat Pulev is now just 24 hours away and the two fighters looked in terrific shape as they weighed in on Friday afternoon.
The pair will meet at London’s SSE Arena at Wembley on Saturday with AJ’s IBF, WBA and WBO world heavyweight titles on the line.
And amid fiery scenes at the official weigh-in, Joshua tipped the scales at 240.8lbs (17st 2lbs), just three pounds heavier for his last outing. That was the rematch victory over Andy Ruiz Jr in Saudi Arabia last December.
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FACE OFF ???? #JoshuaPulev
TOMORROW NIGHT! ???????????????? pic.twitter.com/MzOhnkicmY
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) December 11, 2020
Pulev meanwhile also looked in great condition as he weighed in at 239.7lbs (17st 1lb), some nine pounds lighter than his last fight – a decision over Rydell Booker in Fresno last November. Also a pound lighter than for his victory over Hughie Fury in October 2018.
Spicy scenes during Joshua vs Pulev staredown
Once the two men had weighed in, they engaged in a fierce war of words as things got decidedly spicy during the staredown. There was action on and off stage with still 24 hours to go before they get it on for real inside the ropes.
Joshua (23-1 with 21 wins inside distance) goes into the bout a heavy 1/12 favourite with the bookmakers while Pulev (28-1 with 14 inside) is a big underdog.
AJ knows that victory will likely pave the way for that blockbusting all-British unification clash with Tyson Fury next summer.
The pair have already agreed in principle the financial structure for a two-fight deal. The first fight would see a 50-50 revenue split with the winner taking a 60-40 share for the rematch.
Saturday night’s fight is expected to begin between 2200 and 2300 GMT (1700 and 1800 ET), and will air live on Sky Sports Box Office pay-per-view in the UK (price £24.95). Streaming platform DAZN meanwhile will show the fight in more than 200 countries around the world.
