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LONDON (Nov. 4, 2016) – Undefeated IBF Heavyweight World Champion Anthony Joshua (17-0, 17 KOs) and challenger Eric Molina (25-3, 19 KOs) went face-to-face Friday at the kickoff press conference at Dorchester Hotel in London to formally announce their heavyweight world title fight on Saturday, Dec. 10, live on SHOWTIME from Manchester Arena in Manchester.  There were 17,000 tickets sold on the first day to purchase tickets.

 

Joshua, a British sensation and the 2012 Olympic Games heavyweight gold medalist, will be making the second defense of the title he won over Charles Martin last April 4.  Joshua knocked out previously unbeaten Dominic Breazeale in the seventh round last June 25 in his initial defense.

 

Molina will be getting his second opportunity at a world title. Molina has won two straight since challenging WBC title holder Deontay Wilder in 2015, including a 10^th-round TKO over former world champion Tomasz Adamek last April 4 in Poland.

 

Here’s what the heavyweights said:

 

ANTHONY JOSHUA:

“I don’t think that I’ll be rusty. I’m not going to say camp is smooth or great because it’s always tough and exhausting for the body.  I needed a break because I live in the gym, it’s what I’ve been doing since I was 18 and I haven’t taken my foot off the gas since.  The task is to express myself under the bright lights in the arena and show what we’ve worked on in the dark corners of the gym.

 

“I started preparing my body for camp and then training for this date. I don’t want to mention Wladimir Klitschko too much because that’s not the relevant opponent – Eric Molina is the man that will stand across the ring from me on December 10. He’s a tough competitor and represents a strong challenge to me. We are competing for my belt and the guys that want to become world champion raise their levels by 50-60 percent.

 

“There’s nowhere to hide on fight night. There’s no change in my focus for Eric. Wladimir doesn’t enter the equation for me. People will talk about him and I’ll answer the questions, but that’s as far as it goes. He’s not in my mind, Eric is.

 

“It takes courage to step into the ring.  Deontay Wilder is known as a one-punch KO artist and Eric stood up to his power, so it shows that he’s here to push the champion and take my title.

 

“I don’t get involved in other people’s issues or stories, it’s nothing to do with me.  It wasn’t that long ago that no one cared what I was doing, so I don’t really have to prove myself to anyone aside from myself.

 

“The division has been blown wide open but they’ve been saying that for a while and they will keep saying it until someone dominates the division again.  It’s not so much about brand and hype, it’s about guys like Eric that come with true heart and are gladiators and fight for the love of the sport, and leave everything in the ring on fight night.

 

“There’s a lot at stake and with Sky Sports and SHOWTIME behind us, this is a big stage to show what you have got. I’m serious about what I do and about moving forward.  I don’t have a script, I can only speak from the heart; whatever Eric’s destiny is, that’s what will happen on the night.  If his destiny is to become heavyweight champion, so be it.  But my destiny is to carry on the path I am on and put in a dominant performance on an explosive night of boxing in Manchester.”

 

ERIC MOLINA:

“I’ve been in these fights before.  I have no amateur experience so I’m learning no the job — and I’m getting better every fight.  I fought five rounds against Wilder with a busted ankle, so everything you saw from me was done on one ankle.  That’s the kind of guy this young man is facing.  I fight with everything I’ve got.  Even if I’m hurt, I still fight, because I know that one punch at any given moment can win me the fight.  Anything can happen in the heavyweight division.

 

“I knew this fight was coming my way because nobody wants to fight him.  Let’s be real.  All the other fighters want to go and fight other guys and for the other belts and not face Anthony Joshua.  I’m a guy that’s been in with Wilder – no one wants to fight Wilder, but I did, and that’s why I’m in London today and will be in Manchester on Dec. 10 putting it all on the line, body and soul.  I want that IBF belt, I don’t have the option to go for another belt or down another route.  This is it for me, and that means he’s going to have the toughest fight of his career, I can guarantee that.

 

“Tomasz Adamek had never been KO’d, so the momentum from that win in Poland was big.  I felt it was time to take time off from work and put 100 percent into this. 

 

“Back home, people know me as a certain type of fighter.  On day one of my career I lost in the first round and that’s why on the back of my shirt it says ‘The Art Of Bouncing Back.’  Those aren’t just words.  Boxing is the most brutal sport when it comes to trying to bounce back.  Once you lose, everybody is gone from your side.  There are fighters out there that say they want to bounce back but they don’t have the guts to put themselves in a position to do it.  I put myself in the fight with Wilder and I went to Poland and beat Adamek to bounce back and show people who I am.

 

“You have to prove yourself in this sport and then you can claim the rewards.  I didn’t have an easy road to get here, I’ve had to do it the hard way and I’ve earned my way here.’’

 

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AJ welcomes American to Manchester – Whyte and Chisora meet for Brit belt – Yafai in World title action – Quigg returns

 

Anthony Joshua MBE is set to defend his IBF World Heavyweight title against Eric Molina at the Manchester Arena on December 10, live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and on Showtime in the U.S.

 

Joshua puts his crown on the line for the second time and fights his third American in a row having destroyed Charles Martin inside two rounds to rip the title from the St. Louis man in April at The O2 in London and then stopping Dominic Breazeale in the seventh round at the same venue in June, extending his unbeaten run in the paid ranks to 17 wins, all inside the distance.

 

Molina becomes the latest man to attempt to derail the Olympic Gold medal hero, the Texan is looking to get his hands on the top prize in his second World title tilt after challenging Deontay Wilder for the WBC crown in June 2015. The 34-year-old enters the bout full of confidence after travelling to Poland and knocking out Tomasz Adamek in the tenth round of their clash for the IBF Inter-Continental strap in April.

 

“I am pleased that everything is now set for December 10 and I can concentrate on getting the business done in the ring,” said Joshua. “There has been plenty of talk about who I may face but all I’m doing is concentrating on finishing Molina in style and putting on a great show.

 

“Every fight is dangerous in this division and this is no exception. I saw Molina have a great fight with Wilder and he is now coming off a strong KO win against Adamek in Poland.

 

“I’m expecting this to be the toughest fight of my career so far and I will be ready for an all-out war.”

 

“There is no Heavyweight in the world that has bounced back like I have,” said Molina. “That’s the man that Joshua faces on December 10, and that man is a very dangerous one.

 

“He’ll fight the toughest Molina that anybody has ever seen, just like Adamek fought the toughest Molina.

 

“I’m confident. These type of fights don’t shake me up, I’m a very strong mental fighter. I know exactly what I’ve got to do to prepare myself in the amount of time. I know exactly what I’ve got to do, mentally, physically, to go there and perform.

 

“When you walk out into the atmosphere, half the battle is the mental battle, and if you can stay in the moment mentally you have a shot in any fight.”

 

There’s a huge card in support of the main event as Dillian Whyte defends his British Heavyweight title against bitter London rival Dereck Chisora in an official eliminator for the WBC title. Whyte makes the second defence of his strap after seeing off fellow Brixton man Ian Lewison in Glasgow last month, while former World title challenger Chisora can get his hands on the Lord Lonsdale belt for the second time.

 

Scott Quigg returns to action after treatment on his broken jaw following his unification blockbuster with Carl Frampton, and the Bury star moves up to Featherweight as he looks to regain his status as a World champion.

 

Kal Yafai can become Birmingham’s first World champion but the unbeaten 27 year old faces a tough task to rip the WBA Super-Flyweight title against Luis Concepcion, the two-weight World champion that will enter the ring in his 11^th World title outing.

 

Irish amateur sensation Katie Taylor boxes for the second time in the paid ranks after making her pro debut at The SSE Arena, Wembley on November 26, Heavyweight wrecking ball ‘King Kong’ Luis Ortiz fights in Europe for the second time after clashing with Malik Scott in Monte-Carlo on November 12 and Hosea Burton will defend his British Light-Heavyweight title against Frank Buglioni.

 

“The Heavyweight division has been turned on its head in the last few months and while many are standing still waiting, I’m delighted to get this huge card up and running in Manchester,” said promoter Eddie Hearn.

 

“I have spoken to Eric Molina at length and I know this is going to be a big test for Anthony. We saw in the Wilder fight that he can punch and doesn’t give in and is coming off a strong knockout win against Adamek in his back yard in Poland. We have requested an exception from the IBF for this fight and although the plans are for a major unification in the spring this fight requires Anthony’s full focus.

 

“The card is one of the strongest we have produced, supported by a huge all-British Heavyweight grudge match between Dillian Whyte and Dereck Chisora which will be an official eliminator for the WBC World title.

 

“We are delighted to see the return of Scott Quigg who will now campaign at Featherweight and Birmingham’s Kal Yafai has a chance to make history in a brutal fight against World champion Luis Concepcion.

 

“One of the most exciting Heavyweights in world boxing Luis Ortiz will feature and Ireland’s Katie Taylor will continue to break the mould in front of a sold out 21,000 crowd. The re-scheduled Britsih Light-Heavyweight clash between Hosea Burton and Frank Buglioni is sure to produce fireworks and there will also be further names added in the following weeks.”

 

Tickets go on sale to Matchroom Boxing Fight Pass members at midday on Thursday November 3 from the Fight Pass members via this link: bit.ly/JoshuaMolina. Tickets are priced at £40, £60, £80, £100, £150, £200, £300 and £500, with Inner Ringside VIP tickets priced at £800 – due to the high demand for the event, tickets are capped at FOUR per Fight Pass member.

 

Tickets go on general sale at midday on Friday November 4. Tickets priced £40 to £500 will be available from http://www.manchester-arena.com/ and on 0844 847 8000 VIP tickets are £800 and available exclusively from Matchroom Boxing www.matchroomboxing.com.