Joshua vs Molina: AJ plans to 'feed Molina to lions' and keep focus
Thursday 8 December 2016 15:08, UK
Anthony Joshua says those waiting for him to fail will not get the satisfaction on Saturday when he takes on Eric Molina.
The unbeaten IBF heavyweight champion will have Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye watching on in Manchester when he defends his belt against Molina, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
Shannon Briggs also showed up at Thursday's final pre-fight press conference as the division's most marketable contenders line up for a crack at the current golden boy.
Joshua insists he is not looking beyond Molina, but the champ intends to cement his standing still further by making his opponent look like "a novice".
He told Sky Sports News HQ: "If I can go and make him look like a kid I'm going to play with him, then feed him to the lions.
"As many people as there are who want me to win, there are the same that want me to fail. There's eyes looking from every angle. The main thing is I don't watch any face. I stay focused."
Joshua is almost unbackable at 1/33 but he said: "You don't write anyone off - odds don't dictate fights or we wouldn't even box. I still have to be careful and make sure I perform, but maybe [the bookmakers] have seen the same mistakes in Eric I've seen."
Rob McCracken, who mentored Carl Froch to two world titles, has resumed an amateur partnership with Joshua that brought a gold medal at the London 2010 Oympics.
Saturday's fight is the first since McCracken was appointed Joshua's full-time coach, and the fighter said: "Rob's known me since the amateurs.
"He doesn't look at me and get involved in the hype, he knows my strengths and weaknesses. I respect him."
Watch Anthony Joshua v Eric Molina at the Manchester Arena, on December 10, live on Sky Sports Box Office. Book the event via your Sky remote or online here.
