Nigerian-born world heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Olaseni Oluwafemi Joshua has pushed aside recent boasts by American rival, Jarrell Miller, who he insists is only running his mouth ahead of their title fight on June 1 in New York, USA.
Sports247.ng gathered that Joshua was rattled by a push and verbal blasts Miller hurled against him, days after the American challenger caused tempers to explode during their press briefing.
Tuesday’s press conference at Madison Square Garden should have been the calm before the storm which will take place at same arena on June 1, but hostilities seemed inevitable.
Joshua was pushed, prodded and provoked and his mask slipped, just few hours after he lit up New York’s Stock Exchange.
It has been long since Joshua found himself opposite such an antagonistic opponent, and perhaps none of his 22 foes have been as disrespectful as Miller, who set alight his home city of New York with a shove and a snarl.
Miller, sunglasses shielding eyes that have been fixed on Joshua since long before their first unscheduled face-off last year, immediately put his hands on Joshua, and sent the Brit flying backwards.
Joshua blasted in return: “Unbelievable acting, unbelievable talking, like a Hollywood movie! He is talking s**t.
“Miller doesn’t have what it takes, but to talk. That is just a case of running the mouth, but what can he do in the ring.
“I am in shape, I am focused, and I am going to whip him big.”
Incidentally, this comes at a point news emerged that ‘AJ’ has already been lined out for a major bout against undisputed cruiser-weight champion, Oleksandr Usyk next year.
Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn hinted that his ward is in line for a mandatory bout with the pound-for-pound supremo, as Usyk is expected to step up to heavyweight, with the ultimate aim of challenging ‘AJ.’
Joshua and Usyk are both Olympic gold medalists and have amassed a combined 38 professional victories, no defeats, and seven world belts.
Usyk is set to be installed as the WBO’s mandatory challenger once he joins the top division, putting him on a collision course with Joshua.
Usyk signaled his intentions to target Joshua during a stunning 2018 in which he won the inaugural World Boxing Super Series, and won three fights in his opponents’ home countries culminating with his November knockout win over Tony Bellew.
However, Joshua must first make his US debut by defending the IBF, WBA and WBO belts against Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller at New York’s Madison Square Garden on June 1.
The unified champion hopes to claim every heavyweight belt, a feat that has been accomplished by Usyk in the division below, but Joshua will also be forced into mandatory defences.
Asked if Joshua could fight Usyk by the end of 2019, Hearn said: “No. That fight comes in 2020.
“Usyk will fight in May, probably in his heavyweight debut, potentially against Alexander Povetkin.
“Then he’ll have one more. Then it looks like the WBO will make him mandatory for Joshua. I see that fight happening in spring 2020.”
