AN angry Anthony Joshua responded to Jarrell Miller’s claims he is fighting him on behalf of the “underdog” by reminding him he was a “streetfighter” before he was groomed for greatness.
The IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion usually cuts a composed figure amid goading from his opponents but Miller angered him when they met in New York last week and he is yet to rediscover his normal persona.
They again met in London on Monday afternoon, and Brooklyn’s Miller said: “I’ve been hearing AJ’s too posh, his nose is up here sometimes.
“For all the underdogs out there who are told they’re not good enough; I’m proof that with one or two cheeseburgers and hard work and dedication you can go far.”
There has been significant investment in Joshua’s career since he turned professional, but he said: “I got banned from the area I was growing up in because I was getting into too much trouble.
“The state of my hands – this isn’t from boxing, this is from streetfighting. I’ve changed my whole lifestyle around.
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— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) February 25, 2019
“All this spirit this boy’s got and the s*** he’s talking, I’m going to strip it from him. Look at his face – I’m going to reconstruct his face and body on June 1 and I’m looking forward to this challenge.
“I’m going to be a surgeon because I’m going to give him a makeover.”
Miller last week insisted he planned to stop the champion inside seven rounds, and he repeated: “I don’t need to think; I’ll just get it done. You’ve got to go balls to balls, if I ever doubted myself I would not have made it this far. The game plan’s to stop him in seven rounds.
“You know how I feel about AJ, and my backstory and where I come from and where we’re going.”
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