Anthony Joshua Weighs In On Reduced Capacity Crowd For Kubrat Pulev Fight

Anthony Joshua doesn’t mind fighting in front of a smaller crowd than what he’s used to.

Joshua will put his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO Heavyweight Titles on the line against Pulev on December 12. The championship fight will take place inside the SSE Arena, Wembley in London, England. There will be fans in attendance at a reduced capacity of 1,000.

Speaking to The Sun, Joshua spoke on fighting in front of a significantly reduced crowd due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The last time I would have fought in front of a small crowd, I think it was Hungary in 2012. It was quite decent, you know. It is not bad. The pressure is off, you can get in your rhythm. And I think I need that sometimes – I am under a lot of pressure. I am physically good but mentally you have to stay strong. This year has been good to unload a lot of pressure and fighting in front of 1000 fans is not so bad. You have to take it as a positive and control what you can control. A thousand fans are allowed in and I can’t add to it or take from it.”

Joshua went on to joke about how having fewer people in attendance could lead to a more peaceful gathering among fight fans.

“I am going to take it as a positive and say I am going to go in there and perform with no pressure and showcase the styles I have merged together, which is sticking and moving and aggression and knockout power. When else would anyone get to watch a heavyweight world title fight with just 1000 people in the room? It will be intimate and you won’t have to worry about your missus getting a pint of beer chucked over her head or 15 guys nearby getting into a fight.”