LONDON (8 JUNE) Unbeaten heavyweight star Hughie Lewis Fury believes a potential rumble with IBF heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua would bear a striking similarity to the night Muhammad Ali bemused and broke George Foreman in Zaire in 1974.

Twenty-one-year-old Fury, set for a tune-up bout on July 9 in Manchester, is currently recovering from illness, but, once back to full fitness, has his sights set on returning Joshua’s IBF title to the Fury family.

“I think when Joshua steps up to a higher level he’ll come undone,” says Hughie. “Joshua knows he can hit, he knows he’s one-dimensional and his team know all he needs is a stationary target, guys who can’t move. That’s why he looks good. That’s why he gets his knockouts. But put him in there with anybody who knows how to jab, move and actually box and I think he’ll look clueless very, very quickly.

“Let’s go back to the time when Muhammad Ali fought George Foreman. Everyone said Foreman was going to destroy Ali. They didn’t give Ali a chance. But look what movement did to power that night. After a few rounds, Ali took control and made Foreman look clueless. You can’t hit what you can’t see.

“I’m not saying I’m Ali, and I’m not saying Joshua is Foreman, but I think the same thing would happen to Joshua if he fought me. He’d be left hitting thin air and would get frustrated and exhausted.”

Though Fury, 20-0 (10 KOs), is happy to grab any of the available heavyweight titles, when he’s good and ready, he seems particularly irked by the way Joshua claimed his current belt.

“Joshua’s got very good management and he’s on a good rise,” says Hughie. “But I don’t class him as a world champion. He hasn’t fought anyone. He was gifted a belt. He didn’t win it. Tyson (Fury, cousin) had the belt taken off him and then Charles Martin won it because some guy (Vyacheslav Glazkov) got injured. The whole situation was a disgrace. It seems like anybody can get a belt these days.

“Charles Martin came over here, as a so-called world champion, took a shot, sat down and was smiling as he was counted out. That’s no world champion. Even if you’re no good, you at least put up a fight and give it a go. Put your heart and soul into it. At least then you have a bit of respect for the guy. But for him to go out the way he did was pathetic.”

The passing of Muhammad Ali on Friday night in Scottsdale, Arizona served as yet another reminder that they don’t make them quite like they used to. And Fury, a fan of Ali since he was a child, admits most of what he knows was taught to him by the The Greatest.

“He was an inspiration to us all,” he says. “I’ve always looked up to and admired Ali, especially in his fight with Foreman. That has always been one of my favourite fights to watch.

“That’s my style; movement and speed kills power. You don’t need to be the biggest puncher in the world. Even Muhammad Ali said that. You need to be clever and you need to be fast. I know I’m not a huge puncher, but I’m quicker and have more ring intelligence than these other heavyweights. It’s what is going to get me to the top.”

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Conor Benn returns to action after an impressive April debut with spots on two World title undercards – Ricky Burns’ vacant WBA World Super-Lightweight title clash with Michele Di Rocco in May 28 at The SSE Hydro in Glasgow and Anthony Joshua MBE’s IBF World Heavyweight title defence against Dominic Breazeale at The O2 in London on June 25.

Son of British legend Nigel kicked-off his pro career in style when he landed a first round KO on his debut at The O2 on the undercard of Joshua’s World title win earlier in the month and will form part of the star-studded line-up for Joshua’s first defence at the same venue.

Before that, Benn heads north of the border as his fellow Tony Sims’ trained gym-mate Burns looks to make history and become a three-weight World champion – and the 19 year old is still pinching himself at the

“I never thought that when I came over here I would be good enough to sign for Eddie Hearn and Matchroom – but so far it has been proven otherwise,” said Benn.

“My Dad backed me and next thing I knew I was walking out at The O2 in front of 20,000! It’s been an unbelievable journey so far and I’m pinching myself that I’m with Matchroom.

“I only had 20 amateur fights and came here to the UK with the intention to stay amateur for three years – which is what my father wanted me to do, but I wanted to turn professional.

“I’m just a baby in the sport of boxing starting out, coupled with being only 19 years old. I’m relaxed and don’t feel any pressure, I’m just going to be myself and do it my way.

“I want to box all over the country, so going to Glasgow and boxing on the undercard of Ricky’s third World title fight will be a huge honour for me.

“I’m excited to be boxing back at The O2 too and one thing you can guarantee with me is that I will be explosive and excite the fans.”

Burns’ World title clash with Di Rocco featuring Benn on a packed bill that sees Tyrone Nurse defending his British Super-Lightweight crown against Glasgow’s Willie Limond, new star Ryan Burnett continue his march to World titles, Commonwealth games hero Charlie Flynn in his first title action and undefeated young stars Joe Ham and Lewis Paulin also feature.

Tickets for Glasgow are on general sale with those in the £40-£100 bracket available from the SSE Hydro website http://www.thessehydro.com/ and on 0844 395 4000 and 0800 952 0110 (accessible). VIP tickets at £200 are exclusively available at www.matchroomboxing.com

Face value tickets for Glasgow are also be available from http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/. StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing and Anthony Joshua.

Joshua’s World title defence against Breazeale featuring Benn on the undercard that is topped by a mouth-watering domestic Super-Middleweight blockbuster and WBA World title eliminator bout between George Groves and Martin Murray, while John Wayne Hibbert clashes with Andrea Scarpa for the vacant WBC Silver Super-Lightweight title.

LONDON (May 4, 2016) – Undefeated IBF Heavyweight World Champion Anthony Joshua and unbeaten American challenger Dominic Breazeale had an intense face-to-face meeting on Wednesday before a contingent of major sports media outlets in London to formally announce their June 25 showdown. The two were joined by SHOWTIME Sports Executive Vice President & General Manager Stephen Espinoza and Matchroom Sports President Eddie Hearn, as the executives announced Joshua’s new exclusive U.S. television deal. All four participants later took part on a teleconference with U.S. media.

Highlights from today’s press conference at Hilton London Syon Park and teleconference are below.

Joshua (16-0, 16 KOs) will make the first defense of his heavyweight title against Los Angeles’ Breazeale (17-0, 15 KOs) live on SHOWTIME at the sold-out The O2 arena in London. The heavyweight showdown is the first of a multi-fight licensing agreement for Showtime Networks Inc., to be the exclusive U.S. television partner of Joshua, the 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist from London.

Before the press conference, Breazeale and Joshua had to be separated. Breazeale approached Joshua and was asked if there was a problem. “I don’t know, brother, I’ve just come here to get the belt,” Breazeale said. “On June 25, you’ve got a problem. You’re a bad man because you’ve got a belt now.

“This is not acting, it’s heavyweight boxing. You can act all big and bad in front of all these cameras and your promoters, but in the end you’ve got to put a mouthpiece in your mouth and gloves on your hands.”

Joshua then told Breazeale if he had a problem, they could “settle it man to man.”

Here’s what Joshua and Breazeale had to say from the podium on Wednesday in London:

ANTHONY JOSHUA:

“There are a lot of positive things happening in boxing and a lot amazing things happening in my career at the moment. But I know enough to realize that this is a dangerous sport and you are only as good as your last fight. I fought and lost in the amateurs, and I know how quickly this can all change. It’s my job now to prepare myself properly and to keep this momentum rolling.

“Dominic and I are equals in many ways. He came up around the same time I did, through the Olympic Games and all. Now, with this U.S. TV deal with SHOWTIME and the deal with Sky Sports, Dominic Breazeale gets a chance to announce himself on the UK scene. And I have the chance to do the same in the U.S.”

“I’ll never overlook, never drop the ball. As far as I’m concerned, I am the underdog. I know every day of training camp and every hour of every day, where I am in my preparations leading up to a fight. We have less than seven weeks to go and we will be ready.”

DOMINIC BREAZEALE:

“I am not here looking to see the final round. I’m not here to look at the judges’ scorecards. I am here to knock Anthony Joshua out. Period.

“I am very excited. I wish this fight was this weekend.”

When asked if he expected to fare better than his counterpart, Charles Martin.

“We are two totally different fighters. Anthony Joshua knows he is now getting in there with a beast. He knows he is in for a dog fight. He’s going to hit me and I am going to hit him. And whoever’s will breaks first will lose this fight.

“Charles Martin wasn’t prepared. He dropped the ball. He fought the wrong fight at the wrong time. He had just won the belt, was excited about that, and he took the wrong fight. I haven’t made that mistake. I won’t make that mistake.”

Here’s what the principals had to say during Wednesday’s teleconference with U.S. reporters:

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, SHOWTIME SPORTS Executive Vice President

“UK boxing is on fire right now. There are more UK champions than any other country right now and at SHOWTIME we pride ourselves on bringing our viewers the best fights and the best boxers on the planet, whether they be American, British or from any other country. It is no surprise that our desire, our quest to seek out the most talented and most exciting boxers on the planet, has led us to Eddie’s doorstep and to this deal with Anthony Joshua. We have been discussing this for quite some time. Eddie is a great advocate and ultimately Anthony’s performances have spoken for themselves.

“We had originally intended to put Anthony on SHOWTIME two fights ago but the logistics just didn’t work out, so we were fortunate enough to make his U.S. TV debut with the title fight against Charles Martin and now we’ve done a deal in which we’ve hopefully laid a foundation for hosting Anthony on SHOWTIME for the remainder of his career.

“It was bold of them for entrusting this portion of their career to SHOWTIME. There’s a wealth of good fights in the heavyweight division and most importantly of all, Eddie and Anthony are willing to take all of them.

“I’m not the biggest fan of multi-fight deals but when you have a promoter and a boxer who have committed to taking the best fights available, big or small, in the U.S. or the UK and anywhere else, it brings a lot of comfort to the network in doing those types of deals. From that perspective it was a no-brainer. We’re thrilled to have them.”

ANTHONY JOSHUA:

On coming to American and making statement:

“It’s a great opportunity to be on SHOWTIME because when I look back at my amateurs, I think that’s why I’ve had such a good career in Great Britain so far. It’s because people have been out to follow me since I was an amateur fighter. SHOWTIME worked with me on my first defense and now I get to build with the Americans. I’ve got friends out there and we’re going to build to a wider audience. If we can keep on building and growing organically, by the time I come out there it will be unbelievable. Just like I’m at home.”

On who he thinks will be his biggest challenge:

“I would have to say, Klitschko or Wilder. Klitschko because of the experience and Wilder because he’s the heavyweight champion of the world who’s defended his belt on multiple occasions. So I have to give him credit as the strong force of the division right now because he’s the only other champion who has defended his belt. As far as Klitschko, he’s won the belt and defended it time and time again. Those two are the main names I’m looking at.”

On how his life has changed since becoming a heavyweight champ:

“I’ve had no time. It has been three weeks since the belt was won and I know it was nice for my family. They all had a great time and my mom is telling everyone. So it’s nice to see her enjoy the fruits of labor, but for me, we got straight to organizing the next project, which is why we’re here now.

“You’re not a real deal until you fight in the states, so I thought there was a plan. Eddie has been doing a great job in the background while I’ve been in the gym and they (Hearn and SHOWTIME) pulled something together that is unprecedented, historical. So, credit to the guys that put it together while we’re in the gym putting in the work. At first I was surprised because I didn’t understand the capacity of it, but now I’m looking forward to seeing how we build up things in America.”

On how it is being written about and talked about by credible boxing writers that he is the next big thing in boxing:

“I think that’s why it is important to stay fighting and in the gym. If you spend too long out of the gym then one event turns to two events; turns into the club after the event; turns into all of these expectations and promises, glitz and glamour get to you and I like to keep things (in place). I’ve got an unbelievable family, I’ve got friends around me that count as my family. I’ve got really good people that see me as the same Anthony that was a kid with them running around in the streets. The belt is a great achievement but I feel that why I’ve been so calm is that I think the sky is the limit, what we’re achieving so early on.

“I think I am capable of doing great things if I stay locked away in the gym and I think that is what is so important. To keep on improving time after time. I’ve got a long career ahead of me so I can’t let the expectations and the glitz and glamour get to me right now because it’s way too early for that right now.’’

On if he’s fighting to do something spectacular or look good:

“No, no, no. What I’ve been doing has been working, which has led me to this position. So, all the expectations can’t put pressure on me because it may lead to something that we’re not used to, like a slugfest or a type of fight like that. I need to maintain composure but I definitely need to be effective because I feel like I’ll win but what’s important is how I win. The pressure for me is trying to impress my coach. That is one of my main pressures.”

DOMINIC BREAZEALE:

On the heavyweight division having a bad rep in the past and on how Joshua and Breazeale are different than recent previous fighters:

“I think the biggest difference is that we are separating ourselves with being big athletic guys. Before, in the past, there were just big, strong, aggressive guys in the ring just slugging it out. We are showing some athletic ability as far as using the jab, moving around the ring, throwing combination punches and things like that. We’re kind of taking it back to the days when you saw heavyweight fights like Riddick Bowe and Evander Holyfield. Not necessarily just big stiff guys that are kind of stuck in the mud. I am fortunate to be in the division at the time being right now and I am looking forward to it.”

Thoughts of Martin-Joshua clash, Martin’s performance and what he will do differently:

“I was very upset with Charles Martin’s performance against Anthony Joshua. I was expecting him to put out a lot more, give it a lot more, but unfortunately he didn’t. That four minutes in two rounds were very, very disturbing. One of the differences between me and Charles is that I am not Charles Martin. I’m a big statured guy, a big athletic guy and a strong guy and Joshua knows best that he’s going to be in the ring with somebody who mirrors his image and just a little bit bigger than him, just a little bit heavier and just a little bit stronger than him. So, I plan on finding out if Anthony Joshua has got the legs and the lungs to go five, six, maybe seven rounds but at the same time I want to test his chin, test his body and see if he is the true heavyweight champ.’’

EDDIE HEARN, Matchroom Boxing

“Probably for three years now, I’ve been knocking on the doors of American networks, telling them about this great young fighter. They’ve all been keeping an eye on Anthony Joshua, for sure and the victory on April 9 over Charles Martin to become the IBF Heavyweight champion really opened the doors.

“Anthony Joshua is the biggest star in world boxing and now we have a position with Stephen Espinoza and SHOWTIME where we will move forward together in a multi-fight deal which we hope will not be five, six, or seven fights, we hope it will be for the entire career of Anthony Joshua, for the unification of the heavyweight division. And as I have I said, the birth and the evolution of the biggest star in world boxing today.

“SHOWTIME in my opinion is at the forefront of dynamic boxing programs in the U.S. I think the fights and the shows are continuously pushing the boundaries, not just in America, but outside of America as well. We were privileged to have Quigg vs. Frampton on SHOWTIME and Andy Lee against Billy Joe Saunders recently. They’re picking up the biggest fights in world boxing in many different territories.

“For us this is a groundbreaking day. For a UK promoter and a UK fighter to sign a multi-fight agreement with SHOWTIME, gives me a huge amount of great pleasure commercially. I think it’s a groundbreaking day for British boxing as well, I think we’re on fire at the moment. We’ve got 12 world champions; James DeGale just defended his world title on SHOWTIME last weekend and we have another world champion fight this week with [Anthony] Crolla, Ricky Burns and Tony Bellew are both fighting for world titles to become the 13th and 14th Brits to win world titles. I really feel like the atmosphere, the energy and the vibes of the show that we’re producing are second to none. The atmosphere is electric, the passion is through the roof of the arena and now the U.S. man is going to get a chance to witness it time and time again with Anthony Joshua.

“The plan for us is to evolve Anthony Joshua in various different markets which will lead to U.S. fights as well and I will work closely with Stephen [Espinoza] to see if that’s possible perhaps even in November of this year, but we want to make Anthony Joshua a global star and that includes fighting in America. I am so pleased that the U.S. public will get the opportunity to watch Anthony Joshua on the No. 1 boxing network in America.”

LONDON (May 4, 2016) – SHOWTIME Sports and Matchroom Boxing announced on Wednesday a multi-fight licensing agreement for Showtime Networks Inc., to be the exclusive U.S. television partner of undefeated heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua. The announcement was made today at the Hilton Syon Park outside London by Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports and Eddie Hearn, President of Matchroom Sports.

The multi-fight agreement kicks-off on Saturday, June 25 when Joshua, a British sensation, attempts to make the first defense of his IBF Heavyweight World Championship against undefeated American challenger Dominic Breazeale at the sold-out The O2 arena in London. The addition of this heavyweight title fight, airing live on Showtime Networks in the late afternoon, bolsters a big day for boxing as later that evening on CBS, SHOWTIME will present the first live primetime boxing event on the CBS Television Network in nearly 40 years.

Joshua, 26, has compiled a perfect knockout record of 16-0 with 16 knockouts since turning professional shortly after winning the 2012 Olympic Gold Medal. Earlier this year, Joshua earned the IBF world championship with a second-round knockout of defending champion Charles Martin on SHOWTIME, earning a heavyweight belt in the fewest number of fights in more than 20 years. Further, Joshua is just the sixth Olympic Gold Medalist at super heavyweight to go on to win a professional heavyweight world title joining Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Lennox Lewis, Wladimir Klitschko and Alexander Povetkin.

The 30-year-old Breazeale (17-0, 15 KOs) has knocked out nearly 90 percent of his opponents since turning professional after representing the United States at the 2012 Olympics. Standing at 6-foot-7, the Los Angeles native is one inch taller than the 6-foot-6 Joshua. The former NCAA football quarterback is coming off a career-best victory of previously once-beaten Amir Mansour on Jan. 23.

Joshua vs. Breazeale will be the fifth heavyweight title bout to air live on SHOWTIME in the first six months of 2016, joining a stellar schedule that features many of the top-rated fighters in boxing’s deepest and most exciting divisions.

Also on Saturday, June 25, Keith Thurman will defend his WBA Welterweight World Championship against former titlist Shawn Porter in a blockbuster matchup of two of the world’s best 147-pound fighters, live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. In the co-main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on CBS, presented by Premier Boxing Champions, WBA Featherweight World Champion Jesus Cuellar will defend his title against former three-division world champion Abner Mares.

EDITORS NOTE: A press conference is currently underway in London. Quotes and photos to follow. A media teleconference for U.S. press with Joshua, Stephen Espinoza (Executive Vice President & General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports) and Eddie Hearn (President of Matchroom Sport) begins at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT.

Anthony Joshua MBE’s IBF World Heavyweight title defence against Dominic ‘Trouble’ Breazeale at The O2 in London on June 25 sold out in 30 minutes today.

Joshua landed the crown at his Greenwich fortress earlier in April with a second round KO of Charles Martin and is looking to take another unbeaten record from another unbeaten American foe when Breazeale crosses the pond boasting a 17-0 record with 15 KO wins.

Tickets went on general sale at 10am today and went inside half an hour – yet another rapid sell-out fight for the Olympic hero as fight fans are desperate to see him in action.

“Right now there is no hotter ticket in World boxing than Anthony Joshua and he has proved it today with another day one sell out at the O2,” said Hearn. “As the journey continues we will have to consider more and more stadiums to cope with the demand. June 25 is going to be another great night with Anthony’s first defence against Breazeale and the huge all British clash between George Groves and Martin Murray with more major championship fights added shortly.”

Joshua’s clash with Breazeale tops a massive night of action at The O2 as Groves and Murray meet in an eliminator for the WBA World Super-Middleweight title and more championship fights and talented youngsters to be added to the bill.

Anthony Joshua MBE will make the first defence of his IBF World Heavyweight title against unbeaten American Dominic ‘Trouble’ Breazeale at The O2 in London on June 25.

Joshua ripped took both the belt and unbeaten record of American Charles Martin at the same venue on April 9, and he’ll be looking to take another ‘0’ in his maiden defence.

Breazeale brings a formidable 17-0 record to the UK with 15 wins inside the distance and enters the clash on the back of forcing Amir Mansour to retire after five rounds of their clash in January. The Californian is no stranger to London having represented USA in the 2012 Olympic Games, where Joshua won gold.

“I can’t tell you how excited I am to fight again, especially at The O2 which I have made my fortress,” said Joshua. “My coaches have watched Breazeale for a long time and they knew he was going to be a player in the division and now we get the chance to go war on June 25. It’s sure to be explosive, both of us like to let our hands go and score knockouts, we are both undefeated and both have Olympic pedigree.

“I am looking to get passed Breazeale in style and continue moving towards the unification fight everybody is waiting for. I’m looking forward to being part of a stacked night of boxing and defending my title in style.”

A huge undercard is being pieced together by promoter Eddie Hearn, and the first fight announced is a mouth-watering Super-Middleweights George Groves and Martin Murray in an eliminator bout for the WBA crown.

Both men are hunting a World title shot in the second half of the year, a fourth in the division for Groves and a first at 168lbs for Murray, who boxed three times for a World crown at Middleweight.

“This is a fight I’ve wanted for a while and I’m delighted it’s made,” said Murray. “I’ve had some huge profile fights all over the world in Golovkin, Martinez and Abraham but never had the big one in the UK. This is a fight that British fight fans can really get their teeth into and I’m looking forward to getting the win and moving on to challenging for the World title later in the year.”

“I’m very excited to be defending my WBA international belt against Martin Murray back at the O2,” said Groves. “I’ve had two great performances this year, both in London and the latest one back at The O2. It’s always a happy hunting ground for me.

”Martin is the perfect fight for me at this stage. He’s a seasoned campaigner, who’s boxed at the highest level for quite some time. He is a world level opponent and I’ll have to be fully focused and prepared to beat him.

”A win against Murray on the biggest stage, will open a lot of doors and bring me a step closer to achieving my goal of becoming world champion. I’m fully expecting it to be a war, I can’t wait.”

Promoter Eddie Hearn added: “June 25 is going to be a huge night from start to finish. It’s great that Britain’s newest super star is staying active, many would have still been celebrating but its back to business for AJ. The fight with Breazeale is going to be explosive- he is 6″7 and is one of the few whose KO ratio is up there with Anthony’s. He has come through the similar elite amateur set up and has worked his way into this shot and is ready to go.

“We are looking to put on one of our strongest cards yet at The O2, topped by the huge domestic clash between George Groves and Martin Murray which is set to be a wonderful clash. Watch this space for some more big fights added soon.”

Tickets go on sale today (April 25) at 10am to Matchroom Fight Pass members from the Fight Pass area at www.matchroomboxing.com and O2 Priority members at www.theO2.co.uk. Tuesday April 26 at 10am sees the venue and AXS pre-sale before tickets go on general sale at 10am on Wednesday April 27.

Tickets priced between £40 to £500 will be available from www.theO2.co.uk and on 0844 856 0202. VIP tickets are £1,000 and available exclusively from Matchroom Boxing www.matchroomboxing.com.

Face value tickets for June 25 will also be available from http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/ from 10am on April 27. StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing and Anthony Joshua.

Anthony Joshua MBE will defend his IBF World Heavyweight title at The O2 on June 25.

Joshua landed the belt at the Greenwich venue in style last month, dispatching Charles Martin inside two rounds. The Watford man returns to the scene of that win for his first defence, with further information on his opponent and ticket sale dates to be released next week.

“If there is a date to get in your diary its June 25th – first title defence, The O2,” said Joshua. “Opponent to be announced but I just spoke to coach and I told him I am feeling great and I can’t wait to get back in to camp. I want to be active so that is why I chose the closest date. I appreciate you guys and I can’t wait to see you again and put on a great performance.”

IBF Heavyweight World Championship – 12 Rounds
Charles Martin – 245 Pounds
Anthony Joshua – 244 Pounds

IBF Featherweight World Championship – 12 Rounds
Lee Selby – 125 Pounds
Eric Hunter – 125 ¼ Pounds

NOTE: Highlight coverage of Selby vs. Hunter will air on this Saturday’s SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL® telecast, preceding the live presentation of the IBF Heavyweight World Championship between unbeaten American titlist Charles Martin and fellow unbeaten British Olympic Gold Medalist Anthony Joshua. Martin vs. Joshua airs live on SHOWTIME® at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT.

# # #

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Apple®, Roku®, Amazon and Google. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Hulu, Sony PlayStation® Vue and Amazon Prime Video. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™, and offers Smithsonian Earth™ through SN Digital LLC. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.

LONDON (April 7, 2016) – IBF Heavyweight World Champion Charles Martin and unbeaten British Olympic Gold Medalist Anthony Joshua faced off at the final press conference on Thursday at Four Seasons Hotel in London as they near Saturday’s heavyweight showdown, live on SHOWTIME from The O2.

The SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL® telecast begins live at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT on SHOWTIME. An encore presentation will air on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Here’s what Martin and Joshua had to say at Thursday’s final press conference.

CHARLES MARTIN:
“I don’t consider this a risk. The O2 Arena, that’s my arena. I’m comfortable everywhere I go. When eyes are on me, I’m going to perform.

“I know how to move my head and be evasive. Real true analysts see the things I do. They can tell.

“I’m always here to prove the doubters wrong. When you doubt me, that just fuels my fire.

“We’re going to keep the tide rolling. We’re rolling.”

ANTHONY JOSHUA:
“They know when it comes to these big heavy-hitters we don’t play games. We’re here to go to war. We’ve just got two generals in the ring and the best army wins.

“You know what I’m like, I’m a fighter. I’m not going to go in there and dance around and try to evade punches. I’m going to walk through two to give him five. That’s just how it goes, I’m coming for him.

“I’m here to box, but at the same time I know I’m ready to swim through deep waters to get it. It’s not going to be easy, I know that for a fact, no fight is easy. That’s why I said to you I will box and hopefully it will be an easy night.

“It most definitely is a risk, but at the same time let’s scrap all this 15-fight, 16-fight nonsense and let’s put men in the ring together who want it. Whoever wants it comes out on top and it’s simple as that.”

When asked if he can control his emotions: “Probably not. I’ll probably go out and try to take his head off.”

Additional Fight Week Quotes (free to use):

CHARLES MARTIN:

“I don’t know how the fans will react to me knocking him out, but that’s what is going to happen. I don’t know how the fans in London will react, but I can only be myself.

“I’m world champion, but a lot of people don’t know me. After I knock him out we’ll see where that goes.

“I’m not going to go in there respecting anybody’s power. He’s going to have to respect me and my power and deal with me and my tools. I don’t care what he’s bringing to the table.

“This is my livelihood and I get real emotional with this. If you don’t take emotion into it then how are you even going to win? I’ve got to walk my own path. When I get emotional ahead of a big fight like this, I feel that I cannot be stopped. Even if I have doubt, I always have that.

“I don’t think about where he’s been. All I care about is where he’s going. I don’t care if he’s been in deep water before, or how many rounds he’s been. I want him to remember the word ‘timber’ because I’m going to make his ass hit that canvas real hard.

“This belt is mine. He’s trying to take what’s mine, take something from me. He’s trying to steal food out of my mouth, out of my kids’ mouth, out of my family’s mouth. This is my livelihood.

“I don’t want to let this go: this is never going to end. I want to be known as the greatest southpaw heavyweight that ever put on a set of gloves.

“When I get to this point now, I can’t be stopped. I’m like Lamon Brewster versus Wladimir Klitschko when he unloaded all those shots until he couldn’t throw anymore punches. And then what did Lamon Brewster do? Knock him the (expletive) out. Just that will to win, man. You can throw whatever you want, but I’ll walk through fire to get you.

“It’s controlled aggression, though, because if it’s not, you’ll run into everything they throw at you. I go in there with my antennas to the ceiling and I won’t take my eyes off him until the job is done.

“Everything is just cooking in the kitchen like I am a master chef, and all of the ingredients put together make it perfect.

“Life is all about taking risks but I don’t consider this a risk because I’m confident in what I do. It’s all about just taking that first step. You’ve got to walk out on your own and you’ve got to believe in yourself. If I didn’t believe in myself I wouldn’t have made it this far. If I didn’t believe in myself I wouldn’t be Prince Charles Martin.

“The belt is absolutely in the right hands. I didn’t want to win it the way I did – that was just crazy – I don’t even really like talking about it because it wasn’t my fault. Afterwards, he walked out of the venue – he didn’t limp or get carried out, he walked. If that was me I’d have fought on and gone out on my shield. You’d have to knock me out no matter what. I don’t care if I break my hand, if I break my jaw, I am not stopping.”

ANTHONY JOSHUA:
“I believe I am ready to win the world title. A lot of people have said that this might be too soon for me, that I’ve bitten off more than I can chew, but right now my knuckles are itchy and I just want to get in there and show the world what I can do.

“When my promoter Eddie Hearn called me up and said ‘do you want to fight Charles Martin for the world heavyweight title?’ I just said: ‘Let’s roll’.

“Opportunity knocks and you have to open the door. I have trained and prepared correctly and am ready for this. There’s no turning back. I just embrace it.

“We saw the opportunity when Martin called me out. I was like, ‘OK Mr. IBF calling me out.’ The IBF champ calling out the British champ. I’ve got the heavyweight champion of the world calling me out saying he wants to fight me. I say cool. Let’s rock and roll.

“At the end of the day, let’s strip away the heavyweight title and let’s look at the opponent I’m facing. Charles Martin is a southpaw who can box and who can punch a bit.

“Facing a southpaw always comes with different angles and different tricks. I can’t go in recklessly because you can easily get counter punched. That’s why sparring is important and having a successful camp is important. I know I’ve done all I can to prepare myself for him.

“Let’s welcome Charles into the Lion’s den. He’s coming to The O2 – this is my stomping ground. When I fight here it’s electric and it’s going to be an amazing atmosphere, the best yet. It’s going to be interesting to see how he handles it. What a night it will be if I can lift that belt above my head.

“Sometimes you got to put talent to one side and dig deep. This is the fight game; you got to prove to yourself that when tactics aren’t working, you’ve got to dig a bit deeper, go to war and find a way to win. That’s what I thought when I fought Dillian (Whyte). Certain things weren’t working, I was rushing a bit, I wasn’t in my comfort zone, but I dug deep I found a way to win and I ended the night in a spectacular knockout.

“After I do the business with Martin, a fight with (Tyson) Fury is 10 or 12 months away — providing he handles his business in (Wladimir) Klitschko rematch.

“I find Fury a bit irritating to be honest. All his antics work for him, I suppose, but I can’t wait to fight him. He’s had plenty to say about me, and it’s coming from the same guy that was singing my praises when I sparred with him when I was a complete novice.

“As time goes on, it’s going to get worse for the others because my confidence will grow, I’ll train, learn and take it into the ring.

“David Haye? Bring it on. My heart tells me I am ready. I am at championship level now. After I get Martin out of the way, David is a massive name and when we’re ready to get it on it will be a huge fight.”

# # #

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Chris DeBlasio
Good evening, good afternoon, and good morning to everyone joining us from two countries across the world. I want to thank you for taking the time to be on. On today’s conference call, we have Eddie Hearn and Anthony Joshua. We’ll have Leon Margules and Charles Martin a little bit later. We want to kick off the exciting heavyweight fight that we’re going to present this Saturday. SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL presents the IBF Heavyweight World Championship fight live on SHOWTIME at 5 p.m. ET/ 2 p.m. PT from The O2 Arena in London. As you all know, we will also offer an encore presentation of this telecast later that night on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 8 p.m. The SHOWTIME telecast will include highlights of the IBF Featherweight World Title Fight between defending champion Lee Selby and Philadelphia’s Eric Hunter, which will take place early on the undercard at The O2. Our presentation of the event will be hosted by Brian Custer with analysis from Boxing Hall of Fame Sportscaster, Al Bernstein, and Two Division World Champion Paul Malignaggi from our studios in New York. The live fight coverage will be provided by Sky Sports. I’d like to begin with a few words from the man who’s assembled a terrific schedule for live boxing events on SHOWTIME over the next several weeks. He is Executive Vice President and General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports, Stephen Espinoza.

Stephen Espinoza
Thanks, Chris. And thanks to everyone on the call for joining. Saturday begins our incredibly strong line up, really the strongest line up of any network this year. Seven live boxing telecasts, featuring at least nine world championship fights, soon to be more than that as we fill up the under cards, over a 12 week span. And among them, of course, we’re highlighting some of the most important fights in the most exciting and talent rich divisions. And case in point is Saturday’s heavyweight match-up, which, of course, is highlighting a division that has suddenly become very, very interesting. A new era of heavyweight boxing has really emerged. The landscape is changing fight-to-fight, sometimes punch-to-punch. We’ve got recently crowned champions and challengers, all looking to really establish themselves as the future of the division. And I can’t think of a better fight to kick off this strong slate that we’ve got this spring and summer than this title fight of undefeated Charles Martin, making his first title defense against the also undefeated rising star Anthony Joshua in what I’m sure will be a sold out O2 Arena. We’re also very proud to be hosting the U.S. TV debut of Anthony Joshua, so those of us here in the States can see what all the excitement over in the UK is all about. Between the two of them, they’ve got a combined record of 38-0-1 with 36 knockouts. That’s a 94 percent knockout ratio. So, of course, we are expecting a lot of excitement this Saturday night. With that, I’ll turn it back over to you, Chris.

Chris DeBlasio
I’d like to introduce from Matchroom Sport, Eddie Hearn. Eddie, you and your team have been busy selling out arenas across England this year, a couple of sellouts already. Thank you for taking the time to be with us and making time for the U.S. press. Maybe a few words and an introduction for team Joshua, please.

Eddie Hearn
Thank you, Chris. Yeah, we’ve already had some huge events this year, and the UK is absolutely thriving at the moment, but this event is on another level. Anthony Joshua has broken box office records, viewing figure records consistently since his début a couple of years ago at the same arena. On Saturday night, he looks to become the first British Heavyweight Olympic Gold Medalist to go on and win a world title. It’s a wonderful fight between two very talented, young, big punching heavyweights, and it’s the fastest selling event ever at the O2 Arena, selling 17,000 tickets in just 90 seconds. The anticipation here is on another level. You can’t walk down the street without someone asking if AJ’s going to do it. On Saturday night, as Stephen pointed out, the knockout ratio is second to none. Expect fireworks; expect anticipation, drama, absolutely everything in a wonderful O2 Arena. And, of course, our thanks always to our host, broadcaster in the UK, Sky Sports, but also to Stephen Espinoza and SHOWTIME. I’ve been telling Stephen Espinoza for a long time about Anthony Joshua, and I’m so pleased that the U.S. public will get a chance to see him in action on Saturday night, when I believe he will become the Heavyweight Champion of the World. I’m going to pass over to Anthony Joshua.

Anthony Joshua
Many thanks for you guys taking the time to join the call. Eddie mentioned some great figures and great achievements that we have accomplished from the time I turned professional, and also the fact that the excitement of the heavyweight division is back and it’s an honor to be involved in it, especially here in the UK. And sometimes in heavyweight boxing the UK’s been overlooked, but I think right now people are looking at us and starting to respect the division a lot more. Moving forward with the fight against Charles Martin, as you said, it’s a 96 percent –or 94 percent knockout ratio between us both, but the end of the game for both of us is, obviously, hit without getting hit, but someone will go and someone though has to be removed, and I’m very confident on Saturday night that won’t be me. And I think the rewards of that becoming IBF Heavyweight Champion of the World. And why I’m so content is that God willing I win this championship, I then want to go on to unify the division. So, that’s why I keep my head in the game and stay focused and just look at it as another task on my checklist.

Question
It seems that this is coming a little bit quicker than maybe you or Eddie or anybody on your team anticipated, the opportunity to fight Martin. Can you address how soon this has come in your career compared to when maybe you thought it would arrive, the opportunity to fight for one of these titles?

Anthony Joshua
Yeah, I think we were looking at 12 months’ time. And at the same time it is about my development, because you’re only as good as your last fight. So, when the opportunity came, what I was doing, I was looking at various opponents, the majority of them American opponents as well, who are some in the top 10 and some who (fought) at a world level or contending at world level. And they’re very tough opponents as well, but moving forward April 9, I wanted to get a good contender and to show that my progression from the Dillian Whyte fight. I fought a fight that I didn’t need to, but I still swam the waters, and I came out on top. So, I wanted to show I could go in with, you know, good contenders and defeat them with ease. And when Charles Martin came around, as I said, and I’ll say it again, I took away the fact that he’s IBF Heavyweight Champion of the World. And when I look at Charles Martin as an individual it’s not that I see weaknesses, but I feel that I’m the better man, and they always say the better man will win on the night, and I feel confident of winning, and I feel the fact that the IBF Championship comes with it gives it that much more kudos and why there is a lot more attention around it. But, I’ll leave the attention and, you know, all the hype and the building of the fight that’s down to Eddie, the team, but when I look at the fight itself it’s no problem. I’ll take this fight with both hands, and that’s how I kind of managed to secure my confidence moving forward with this heavyweight championship fight.

Question
Anthony, when you look at the landscape, the British boxing scene is thriving. You’ll have a heavyweight title if you win. Tyson Fury, no disrespect, is clearly the recognized champion in the weight class with two titles and the victory against Klitschko. And there’s other, big names in the heavyweight division that fight out of the UK. Would it be good for you to match up with some of these other guys over there, Fury and Haye in particular?

Anthony Joshua
It has to happen. It is a big deal, because I look at it like when you go back in history, Foreman fought Ali. Ali fought Frazier. Then you have Tyson fighting Holyfield. Holyfield and Lewis. And then, you’ve just got the UK heavyweight: so Haye, Price, Fury, myself. Every division has to mix it up. So, if moving forward I get the victory, it just adds a bit of fuel to that fire, and these fights are going to happen sooner than later. So, I can’t shy away from it. I’ve got to prepare myself. And how I look at Charles Martin is I train for Charles Martin, but I’ve got to train for 10 fights ahead of Charles Martin because it’s only going to get tougher, and that’s why I have to have the confidence. My mind says, ‘I can beat Charles Martin because I want to go to that level above as well.’

Question
Eddie, could you address that?

Eddie Hearn
Anthony Joshua against David Haye is probably the bigger of the two fights, but Joshua against Tyson Fury and a unification fight between two Brits, I mean, you know, it’s (huge).

Question
A fight between British boxers for the heavyweight championship has never happened, right?

Eddie Hearn
No, no, no, no it hasn’t. And, you know, it might never happen again. So, absolutely huge. As Anthony said, 100 percent of our eyes are on Saturday night, but at the same time we know the rewards, and the rewards come through a huge fight. And Tyson Fury is a character that would take the Anthony Joshua fight at the drop of hat, and we feel exactly the same way.

Question
How nervous are you, Eddie, about Saturday given that you brought up Anthony from day one in the pros? And I know this is a little sooner than you expected. You know, the fighter will do his job. But is it difficult for you to sit there with the nerves watching what’s unfolding in the ring?

Eddie Hearn
Yeah, I’m nervous, but I’m so excited. I mean, this is what boxing is — this is what the sport is all about. You know, we’re rolling the dice, and we’re doing it quicker than many would do it, but we’re doing it because Anthony Joshua makes the ultimate call. The team — he will get his opinions from myself and the training team, who all feel he can beat Charles Martin, but the man who has the ultimate say is Anthony Joshua, and, luckily, he’s a very bright individual who believes he can beat Charles Martin. It doesn’t matter if it’s Saturday night or 12 months’ time, when you get the opportunity to fight for the World Heavyweight title in your backyard, you have to take it and especially when you’re a favorite going into the fight. I mean, the odds are ludicrous. You know, this is a close fight. This is a close fight where anything can happen, but we believe Anthony Joshua is a special talent. It’s certainly quicker than we expected, but look at the rainbow at the end. Anthony Joshua becomes the Heavyweight Champion of the World, in my opinion, becomes the biggest star in world boxing, and you will see when it happens. You might say, “Well, that’s a bit of an exaggeration.” Trust me, it’s not. This boy has got it all. But, we know how dangerous the fight is. We know how dangerous heavyweight boxing is. And the beauty of it is that these guys are fearless. They’ve not been around long enough to know about defeats, etc. You know, Charles Martin’s never been hit on the chin. Anthony Joshua has. And the Dillian Whyte fight will end up being a blessing for Anthony Joshua. So you’ve got two 6-foot-5 guys, one big, awkward southpaw with a huge backhand. Another guy with the fastest hands I’ve seen in the heavyweight division for a long time and a total disregard for what’s coming back at him. Actually so much so, I’ve never seen a man unload in front of another man like this since Mike Tyson. But, we got to be smart because this time there’s going to be something coming back.

Question
For Stephen Espinoza: From a coaching programmer’s perspective, how exciting is it that you have a heavyweight division as vibrant as it is right now? How refreshing is it to be able to say to them, “Well, hey, we have a division that is exciting; we have these fights now.”

Stephen Espinoza
It’s really the icing on the cake, so to speak, of the current boxing market. There certainly is a certain mystique about the heavyweight division, particularly for the casual fan. No matter what is going on in any of the other divisions, heavyweight boxing holds just a special attraction. There’s a magnetism and excitement about the division and it’s been a relatively dormant division for much of the last decade. I don’t mean that in a derogatory way. It’s just we have one dominant champion or a set of brothers as dominant champions and each fight was really a foregone conclusion. What we’ve seen in the last eight months is essentially an entire reinvigoration and renewal of the heavyweight division. And to see young guys, like Anthony Joshua, a newcomer on the scene who has made the kind of splash and has the kind of promise that Anthony has is something that really if the division wasn’t already rejuvenated, it certainly would have taken notice of him. But, you throw Anthony in there and some other good, young heavyweight prospects such as Joseph Parker and others, there’s a lot of excitement from the up and coming ranks all the way through the contenders and champions. It’s really an exciting time, not just for that division but for many others that are being remade in sort of a new generation of talent.

Question
Do you see the winner of this fight as being a guy that can perhaps help carry the flag for the network?

Stephen Espinoza
We’d love that to be the case. You know, as Eddie mentioned, he and I have been talking about Anthony for several fights now, and we’re thrilled that we were able to get a deal done and host this TV début. And we’d like to be his TV home for the remainder of his career, and that’s for two reasons, one because he’s obviously a very skilled and entertaining fighter, but, two, there is a wealth of good fights that can be made. That’s really the recipe for a TV programmers dream and not just to have charismatic skilled fighters, but actually have a wealth of opponents. There are a number of them, here in the U.S., starting with Deontay Wilder or other UK fighters – Tyson or David Haye, as well as internationally. There’s really fertile ground in the heavyweight division right now.

Question
Anthony, leading up to this fight, one line you keep using is that everything about your career is about development. You said that kind of in reference to your development in the ring but also personal development as a human being. What do you expect to learn in this fight with Charles Martin both about yourself and as a fighter?

Anthony Joshua
Well, as about myself, dealing with pressures, right? It’s just how to deal with fighting for the Heavyweight Championship of the World. That’s a pressure in life that you could put on any-thing and there’s a certain amount of respect that you’ll get. So, there’s pressures of life that I’m going to deal with outside of the ring. And regarding the fight, I’m looking towards the fight, in my last 10, 12 weeks in training, it’s been a great camp. We’ve been sparring like 13 rounds, 14 rounds. It’s been — that mental toughness, you know, day after day. Pushing myself has been great. And then moving into the fight is when I’ve been a watching a lot of champions and some of the champions. One thing I’ve learned from them is just composure. That’s what I’m going to take into this fight. So, not only experience and then how to deal with things, but that’s outside of the ring. But, when I am in the ring and just deal with what I’ve got to face within the ring and just stay composed, I should show people that basically anything’s possible. You know, they can say what they want, but I’m an underdog. I’m a challenger that can come in and annihilate a champion. Kind of like when Tyson fought Douglas. Just don’t give Charles Martin a chance and just outclass him, and that’s what I want to show and display on Saturday to be honest with you.

Question
Anthony, can you talk about the fact that you’re coming in–even though you got knockouts in all of your fights, you only have, I believe, a total of 32 pro rounds, and you’re fighting for world titles. Can you talk about the experience factor in this fight and how you want to overcome it? Obviously, everybody knows your Olympic and amateur record, but tell us about the experience factor as a pro fighting for a title this soon?

Anthony Joshua
I think that when the red carpet’s been laid out for you, you can only walk down it with the amount of experience that I have. I haven’t got, you know, as you said, like 200 rounds under my belt and 50 fights. I’m just the man I am. And with the cards I’ve got, I’m going to make the most of it. And that’s how I have to attack this fight. It would have been great to have 50 fights and x amount of rounds, but I feel great with having 32 rounds and 15 fights as well. So, that’s why I think it’s all a mindset. It’s how one person looks at it and how another does. And I’m confident that my rounds won’t–there won’t be another 12 rounds added onto this fight. It’s still going to stay in limited numbers, and that’s not being cocky. It’s just more of a confidence thing. It’s that the way we train in the gym, you know — and they say the fight’s a long time before the fight. And the way we train the gym that’s why I’m so confident moving forward, because I’m hungry. I’m determined. And I just want to go in there and just put on a great show. And I know they’ll crumble. I just know I’m confident in making people crumble after a few rounds.

Question
You’ve fought a number of experienced fighters before. Do you consider Charles Martin to be your toughest opponent as a pro?

Anthony Joshua
No, I don’t. Not really, no. No, not yet. Not yet. He’s not my toughest opponent yet. But, then it might be a different story come April 9. Right now looking at Charles, he’s a very (good) counter puncher. He’s laid back. He doesn’t work the full round. So, it should be a nice controlled fight. So, I don’t think it’ll be like the Dillian Whyte fight. That was a tough fight. We work. We’re both hungry. The guy was very strong to the head. That was a tough fight for sure. So, I don’t think Charles will impose those kind of threats that Dillian did.

Question
Do you want to make a prediction for the fight?

Anthony Joshua
Let me think. Six rounds, maybe six rounds.

Question
You and Eddie have both referenced the fight against Dillian Whyte. And the second round, what you think you’ve learned from that and how it can help you?

Anthony Joshua
I was thinking that he threw a haymaker of a left hook, and it kind of — it just dazzles you a little bit. And then, you just basically hold yourself together, and it just shows composure. Stay, as I said, composed, man. Just stay composed. And that’s what I’m saying over the time when I’ve been watching many fighters. It happens. It’s boxing. It does happen, but it’s how you deal with it, which is important. And I always say that it happened to me in round two. It happened to Dillian in round seven. One dealt with it better than the other, and I came out victorious. And that’s just how I dealt with it really.

Chris DeBlasio
Before we move on to Prince Charles Martin, a few words from Stephen Espinoza. Stephen?

Stephen Espinoza
Thanks, Chris. We were fortunate enough to host Charles Martin when he won the title a few short months ago. I know Charles and his team were disappointed, not withstanding the win, because they didn’t get a chance to show what Charles Martin is all about. I’ve seen him in the gym. I know him as a fighter. I know his team. He’s an exciting fighter, an aggressive all-action fighter. And I’m sure that he is intent on showing what he didn’t get the opportunity to show the first time out. So, without further ado, Chris, I’ll turn it over to you to introduce the IBF Heavyweight Champion Charles Martin.

Chris DeBlasio
So, Leon Margules, Warriors Boxing, you’re taking the champion over to the UK for a monster fight. A couple of words on the event.

Leon Margules
Well, first of all, I want to thank Stephen Espinoza and SHOWTIME. Chris, thank you very much. I want to thank Eddie Hearn and Anthony Joshua for accepting to agree to challenge us for our title over here. We’re very excited about this opportunity. We believe Charles is the real deal. We believe Charles may be more than Anthony Joshua bargained for. A special thanks to Mike Borao, Charles’ manager, who’s had Charles since the amateurs and who brought him up through the ranks of professional ranks, believes in him and believes he can fight the best, and be the best. So, if it wasn’t for Mike, Charles and him they wanted to seek out the best and most exciting fight and Anthony Joshua’s the guy. That’s why the fight was made. So, I’d like to thank them. And I’d like to let the champion talk to you. So, ladies and gentlemen, the IBF Heavyweight Champion of the World with the record of 23-and-0, the undefeated Prince Charles Martin.

Chris DeBlasio
Hello, Charles. How you doing? A couple of words about your journey to the UK and the impending title defense, please.

Charles Martin
My stay in the UK so far has been very good. You know, the people are very nice to me. And we’re just finishing up with the workouts and just staying sharp now, winding down, getting stronger again. And basically we’re ready to (go).

Question
Charles, when the fight came up between yourself and Anthony, what was it that made you decide to immediately, well, throw caution to the wind and go to his hometown and fight the guy that many people think is the next superstar in the heavyweight division?

Charles Martin
Yeah, because just for that reason that everybody thinks that he’s a superstar, and, you know, I know that he’s great. I know that he’s not ready. You know, I’m going to get him right now while he’s great. You know what I mean?

Question
Do you feel like when fans look at this fight they’re seeing two heavyweights that both have outstanding potential or both, good physical specimens that can punch and that have good personalities, all that, but nobody really knows that much yet about how good you or Joshua could be and maybe that this is the fight that you can begin to prove that to people?

Charles Martin
Yeah, that’s pretty good to say, but like I said, I’ve got more fights than him. So, this far in the amateurs and the pros I got more fights than him. So, I just overall got more experience and that’s what I’m basing this off of. It don’t matter about who you got in the ring with as a professional and fought because, you know, the experience and getting comfortable is what it’s all about, you know, and I don’t feel that he’s comfortable enough in the ring and especially not with me being in there. When I get in there and start doing the things that I do in there, you know, he’s gone. It’s going to be a different story. It’s going to be a whole different look.

Question
He says he’s going to knock you out inside six rounds. Your response?

Charles Martin
He’s not ready. He’s not ready, man. He’s not ready. He going to get tired like he always does. Like he normally gets tired thinking he’s going to go five rounds. He’s going to get tired, and that’s when I’m going to jump on (him), period.

Question
So, you’re predicting you’ll knock him out?

Charles Martin
Yeah, I know I’m going to knock him out.

Question
Did you watched any tapes of Anthony’s fights, or any of the other fights that he’s had recently, to give you the opinion that you think that he’s green and he gets tired?

Charles Martin
Yeah, he just — he did get tired. In the Dillian Whyte fight he got real tired and he doesn’t have any footwork. He can’t box. You know, he can’t move. The only thing he’s relying on is his power, and I got more tools than that. I’m more than just a powerful puncher. You know, I can do it all. So, that’s what I’m taking into the fight. I got more in my arsenal. If he thinks he’s going to be able to land hard punches on me and stuff like that, he’s got another thing coming. I’m very elusive. So, we’ll see when it’s time to take care of business.

Question
Do you think because of the way the fight with Glazkov ended that you’re not getting the credit that you think you deserve coming into this fight?

Charles Martin
No, not at all. You know, it is what it is. I’m the World Champion. So, you know, I’m getting respect. You know, I get credit and respect. You know, so, I’m just over here fighting him on his territory, you know, and the UK fans that’s their guy. So, I mean, of course, they’re going to be rooting for him.

Question
How do you think the crowd might affect the fight with the officials and the fact that he’ll be the fan favorite and the local hero? Do you think that’ll have any effect on the way the fight goes on?

Charles Martin
No, because I don’t plan on taking it to the judges’ hands. My judge is my left and my right.

Question
You could probably have fought anybody after winning the title. What prompted you or what was behind the decision to go to England to defend your title? Not a lot of champions in any division will do that on their first offense. What was behind your reasoning?

Charles Martin
Because probably they’re scared. I ain’t scared, man. I’m here for a reason. I’m here for a reason. And, you know, over here he’s a superstar, man. You know what I’m saying? And we want to take on all these big names. He was the biggest name that we could see this far, you know, besides Tyson Fury. Tyson Fury was already in with Klitschko, and Deontay Wilder was (busy). You know what I’m saying? All the other big names were taken. You know, I’m saying at the time he was the only one that was open, available. So, we figure why not do that? We want to make a name and make a mark on the sport. You know what I mean? That’s what I want to do. You know, I want people to know that he’s down for whatever, whenever, however. If I got to come all the way over here to do it, I’m down for whatever. I’m down for whatever, man.

Question
A lot of people are asking, you know, why did you choose Anthony Joshua? You know, why are you picking this site? Were there other names offered to you, and did you kind of specifically point out and tell your people, ‘Hey, I want to go and fight Anthony Joshua.’

Charles Martin
Yeah, you know, (there was a) small name like Chris Arreola. I don’t want to fight Chris Arreola. Why would I fight Chris Arreola? I can beat Chris Arreola. I know that’s just an easy fighter to beat. You know what I mean? I want somebody, I want the superstars. I want these guys. You know, I’m going to take his space. You know what I mean? Take everything that he thought he was (getting) and it’s going to come this way. I know exactly what I’m doing with this.

Question
Could you tell us some of the things that you’ve added to your camp for this fight?

Charles Martin
Oh, you’d have to take that up with my condition coach. Man, you know, he’s got it down to a science. He went to school for it. He knows what he’s doing. And I just feel overall stronger, you know, faster, stronger, more balanced, core strength. You know, I’m just a different person than I was. So, I’m happy that, you know, the stars were in line once again. You know, the chemistry was right from the start. We hit it off. And he just pushed me to different levels.

Question
Joshua was quite critical of your style of boxing. He said you’re a counter puncher who doesn’t work the full round. Your reaction?

Charles Martin
Yeah, see, that’s all he’s seeing is that I’m a counter puncher, but I’m a lot more than just a counter puncher. So, I’m going to let him keep thinking that that’s all that’s to my game. So, that’s fine by me. Keep on thinking that I’m just a counter puncher, if you want to.

Question
If victorious, do you ultimately want to unify the division?

Charles Martin
Yeah, absolutely. That’s what our ultimate goal is, to unify. To get all the belts that’s the ultimate goal.

Question
When Joshua was on the call, he was asked if he thought you would be his toughest opponent. He said, ‘No,’ and that he would finish you inside of six rounds. How do you respond to that?

Charles Martin
That’s fine by me. Words are words. You know, they’re nothing more than what they are. He’s saying that I ain’t his toughest opponent, fine. I’m going to — I’m not even going to say nothing about it. That’s cool, but I like that. I like that, you know? Be confident. Be very confident in what you do.

Question
What’s your prediction for this fight, Charles?

Charles Martin
Oh, I don’t have any prediction. Man, I’m not the one to predict. I’m a realist. You know, you come out talking that crap, it don’t mean nothing, you know? Predictions, I’m not a prophet. You know what I mean? I’m going to go in there and see what’s in front of me, and who knows how it goes down. You know, if I see (an opportunity), then I’m going to take the initiative. You know, hey, I’m just a technician in there, man. That’s all I can say, I’m a technician, a lot of tools.

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Conor Benn has signed a promotional deal with Matchroom Boxing and will make his professional debut on the undercard of Anthony Joshua MBE’s IBF World Heavyweight title clash with Charles Martin at The O2 in London on April 9, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

The 19 year old son of British boxing legend Nigel kicks off life in the paid ranks at Super-Lightweight under the guidance of trainer Tony Sims, and Conor says his goal is to outdo his iconic Dad’s incredible achievements as a two-weight World champion in the 90s.

“I’m Conor Benn, but I’ll always be known as Nigel’s son,” said Conor Benn. “Until I get inducted into the Hall of Fame, until I win World titles at three weights – not two, because that’s what my Dad did and I need to do more – until I’ve become the youngest World champion or won more belts, I’ll always be Nigel Benn’s son, and achieving more will be very hard.

“I’ve been boxing for about three years now, I didn’t know that fighting was made for me but I do now. I think I’ve progressed really quickly. People say it’s because of my surname – it’s because of that and that I can fight like my last name.

“My Dad didn’t really want me to fight, he thought that I would give it a try and have it as a hobby, but it escalated really quickly. He said there were a million other things to do, why do you need to fight? But I have no choice but to fight because it’s in me, it’s what I want to do, I want to be the best.

“I’m scared about my debut. I’ve come to England by myself and the pressure on my shoulders is intense. But the fans have embraced me already, I feel they are going to be behind me, but I thrive on fear. No-one understands the position I am in, to have a legend as a Dad and then move accross the world at 19, leave my family behind, walk into media pressure straight away. But once a day I have a feeling that no-one can touch me, because if anyone wants to have it with me, I’ll have it with them.

“I feel at home with Tony. I trust him 100 per cent. He looks out for my best interests and in the gym, in the space of three months he’s changed me from fighting like a boy to fighting like a man. I don’t know how, but he’s done it, and that’s why he’s one of the top trainers in boxing, he’s turned me into a fighter and an animal.”

Nigel Benn won World titles at Middleweight and Super-Middleweight in his glittering career that saw ‘The Dark Destroyer’ pack stadiums and arenas and thrill huge TV audiences with his all-action style and brutal power.

The 51 year old will be in London next week for a press conference and will attend Conor’s debut, but says he will allow Conor to forge his own path in the game under the guidance of Hearn and Sims.

“I’m really excited for Conor, he’s incredibly talented,” said Nigel Benn. “If I look at myself at 19 next to Conor, there’s no comparison, he’s so much better than I was. He has all the fighting instincts in him and he’s got so much ability, he’s going to be special and he’s going to go on and be better than me, I really believe that. He’s got the heart of a fighter.

“I’m so happy that he’s teaming up with Eddie and I just hope they can develop the sort of relationship that Barry Hearn did with Chris Eubank, and take Conor all the way as they are the new generation, being with Eddie is going to help him so much with Sky Sports backing him.

“Conor is his own man, he’s not following my footsteps, he’s making his own path and he’s completely different to me and I want him to have his own identity. Conor doesn’t need me, he’ll get to the top without me and surpass everything I achieved – I really believe that.

“I sparred with him recently and I tried to knock him out – seriously. He said ‘yeah?’ And I threw the kitchen sink at him and he threw it back at me. I was 20 kilos heavier than him and he said ‘I’ll have it with you’. He was Super-Lightweight and I’m at Cruiserweight, but I tried to bang him out and he wouldn’t budge. I’ve filmed that and when he becomes World champion I’ll show it to everyone. That’s how good he is.

“Conor works with Eddie and Tony, I’m not going to get involved. I just want Conor to know that if he needs advice, I’m on the other end of the phone whenever he needs me. We’re going to invest the money he makes from the sport so at the end of the day, he’s got a nice life and he’s comfortable when he hangs them up. I’ll be at his debut at The O2 and then afterwards, that’s it, I’ve got my own life to live in Australia, as much as I love my son, he’s going to make the decisions on his career with Eddie and Tony and he knows he can call me if he needs my help.”

Hearn added: “Sometimes you meet a young fighter that just gets you excited. Conor Benn has that look in his eye, that hunger and genes you just cannot buy.

“Watching him progress under Tony over the past few months has been a pleasure to watch, he had a style so similar to his father but is completely his own man. This is going to be a wonderful journey and fight fans need to be very excited about Conor Benn.”

Benn’s debut is part of a huge night of action in Greenwich, topped by Joshua’s World title clash with Martin. Lee Selby defends his IBF World Featherweight title against Eric Hunter, while there’s a key Middleweight battle between former World title challengers Matthew Macklin and Brian Rose, three-time World Super-Middleweight title challenger George Groves meets unbeaten Scotsman David Brophy, Ohara Davies faces Andy Keates for the vacant English Lightweight title, and another fight will be announced in the morning.

NEW YORK (March 29, 2016) – The SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL presentation of the IBF Heavyweight World Championship between undefeated American titlist Charles Martin and fellow unbeaten British Olympic Gold Medalist Anthony Joshua will air live on SHOWTIME at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT on Saturday, April 9 from The O2 in London.

An encore presentation will air later that evening on SHOWTIME EXTREME at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

The SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL telecast will be hosted by Brian Custer with analysis from Al Bernstein and Paulie Malignaggi. Coverage of the event will be provided by Sky Sports with the play-by-play call from Nick Halling, analysis from Jim Watt and Carl Froch and post-fight interviews from Andy Scott.

The SHOWTIME telecast will include extensive highlights and analysis of the IBF Featherweight World Championship between defending titlist Lee Selby and American challenger Eric Hunter.

(EDITORS NOTE: Due to a change in the bout order at The O2 in London, SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL is unable to provide live coverage of this bout.)

Martin vs. Joshua is the third of four heavyweight title bouts in five months on SHOWTIME (see details below). The scheduled 12-round matchup is the toughest test to date for both Martin (23-0-1, 21 KOs) and Joshua (15-0, 15 KOs), two bombers who boast a combined 94 percent knockout ratio.

Selby (22-1, 8 KOs) vs. Hunter (21-3, 11 KOs) is the second of five scheduled featherweight title bouts in 2016 (details below), a lineup showcasing many of the world’s best 126-pounders aiming to unifying one of boxing’s deepest divisions.

“The heavyweight division is experiencing an incredible resurgence, and the featherweight division is rife with compelling matchups,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President & General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports. “Martin vs. Joshua is a can’t-miss showdown between a newly minted American champion and one of the sport’s fastest-rising stars. And Selby vs. Hunter has major implications in the talent-rich division. We are proud to work with Matchroom Sport to deliver these pivotal matchups to the U.S. audience.”

“I’m the Heavyweight Champion of the World, and that’s why I have no problem traveling to England for my first title defense,” Martin said. “I only want to fight the best, and I plan on knocking Anthony Joshua out and taking his fans and the belt back with me.”

“The O2 is going to be rocking on April 9 and the U.S. fans are in for a treat when they see Charles and I clash,” Joshua said. “Credit to him for coming over after calling me out, but he doesn’t know what he’s getting himself in for. I am going to show all my power, all my speed and all my accuracy to put on the best display of my life and become the Heavyweight Champion of the World by knocking him out. I’m delighted that fans in the U.S. will be able to witness it.”

“After a great experience in my first defense in Arizona against Fernando Montiel, it’s nice to be back in front of my home fans at The O2 in London,” Selby said. “It’s going to be a crazy atmosphere with a 20,000 person sold-out arena. Hunter has talked a lot of trash and I’m looking forward to showing him what it’s like at the world championship level. He’s in for a shock.”

“He’s got a belt I want, and that’s all I know about him,” Hunter said. “My team knows more about him than I do. It’s their job to come up with a game plan. My job is train and get ready to perform my best. I can adjust to anything in the ring. I’m just here at the gym working my butt off to get the job done. I’m going to be more focused than I ever have been for this fight.”

The 6-foot-5 Martin won the IBF championship on Jan. 16 when Vyacheslav Glazkov suffered a knee injury in the third round of their vacant world title fight. In capturing the IBF belt, Martin, of St. Louis, Mo., became just the sixth southpaw heavyweight champion in boxing history and the second current American heavyweight titlist.

While Martin has stopped his last 13 opponents and was the aggressor against Glazkov, the undefeated champ remains virtually untested. His first title defense and initial start outside the U.S., will take place at what is expected to be a pro-Joshua arena in London that sold out in just 90 seconds. The 29-year-old Martin, who is trained by U.S. Olympian Henry Tillman in Big Bear, Calif., will be Joshua’s first professional southpaw opponent.

Joshua had a standout amateur career that culminated with an Olympic Gold Medal at super heavyweight in the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Since turning professional in July 2013, the 6-foot-6 Joshua has steadily climbed through the ranks.

One of boxing’s most promising prospects, Joshua is coming off consecutive victories over previously undefeated opponents. In his last bout, the 26-year-old was pushed past the third round for the first time in his career. Joshua defeated Dillian Whyte via seventh-round knockout on Dec. 12. Now, Joshua returns to The O2, the site of his professional debut and five of his 15 professional bouts, in a bid to join Tyson Fury as the second current reigning British heavyweight champion.

Joshua is also looking to become the sixth super heavyweight Olympic Gold Medalist to win a heavyweight world title. If successful, he will join an impressive group that includes George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko.

Born in Barry, Wales, Selby won his world title with a dominant technical decision over previously undefeated Evgeny Gradovich in May 2015. The slick boxer made his first title defense in his U.S. debut last October, capturing a unanimous decision over former three-division champ Fernando Montiel.

The 29-year-old owns a slew of victories over previously unblemished fighters including Joel Brunker, Ryan Walsh, Viorel Simon, Corey McConnell and Stephen Smith. He has won 18 straight since the lone blemish of his career, and six of his last eight victories came over previously undefeated opponents.

Hunter, who will take a four-fight win streak into his initial start outside the U.S., has always possessed an abundance of talent. Before turning pro, the Philadelphia native was an outstanding amateur and an alternate on the U.S. Olympic team.

The fast-handed 29-year-old has scored some solid victories as a pro, and his biggest enemy in a nine-year career has been himself – the switch-hitter doesn’t always keep his composure in check and allows his emotions get the best of him. Two of Hunter’s three losses came by disqualification, the last coming via DQ in 2013 against Mike Oliver for hitting at the break. The other came against Luis Franco in 2010, when he had a point deducted in the second and was DQ’d in the eighth after repeated low blows.

If Hunter can keep his hot head from getting him in trouble, he’s confident he can upset Selby and join Leo Santa Cruz and Gary Russell Jr. as U.S.-born world champion at 126 pounds.

2016 Heavyweight Title Bouts (NOTE: all on SHOWTIME))

· Jan. 16 WBC Heavyweight World Championship Deontay Wilder vs. Artur Szpilka

· Jan. 16 IBF Heavyweight World Championship Charles Martin vs. Vyacheslav Glazkov

· April 9 IBF Heavyweight World Championship Charles Martin vs. Anthony Joshua

· May 21 WBC Heavyweight World Championship Deontay Wilder vs. Alexander Povetkin

2016 Featherweight Title Bouts (All on SHOWTIME with the exception of June 25 “SHOWTIME BOXING on CBS”)

· Feb. 27 WBA (Super) Featherweight World Championship Leo Santa Cruz vs. Kiko Martinez

· April 9 IBF Featherweight World Championship Lee Selby vs. Eric Hunter

· April 16 WBC Featherweight World Championship Gary Russell Jr. vs. Patrick Hyland

· June 25 WBA (Regular) Featherweight World Championship Jesus Cuellar vs. Abner Mares

· Summer 2016 WBA (Super) Featherweight World Championship Leo Santa Cruz vs. Carl Frampton