- Miller calls IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion Joshua "posh"
- Fight to take place at Madison Square Garden on June 1.
LONDON: Anthony Joshua has promised Jarrell Miller he will 鈥渟trip him of his soul鈥� when he defends his world heavyweight titles as he responded to taunts from his US challenger he was a 鈥減osh鈥� champion.
British boxer Joshua will fight in the US for the first time when he defends his IBF, WBA and WBO crowns at Madison Square Garden in the challenger鈥檚 home city of New York on June 1.
It will be a clash between two unbeaten boxers, with Joshua boasting a record of 21 knockouts in 22 wins compared to Miller鈥檚 mark of 23-0-1, with 20 KOs.
The pair had already held a testy press conference in New York last week, with Miller proclaiming Joshua a 鈥渇raud鈥� and 鈥渁 pussy.鈥�
Monday鈥檚 event was relatively restrained until Miller suggested London鈥檚 Joshua had had things 鈥渆asy.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檝e still got 10 years left in the sport,鈥� Joshua said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know anything else. I like to knock people out and beat people up.鈥�
Former Olympic champion Joshua has largely avoided the kind of 鈥榯rash talk鈥� common in the promotion of many boxing bouts but he appeared riled Monday, particularly when Miller said Tyson Fury was now the talk of the British heavyweight scene.
Miller, making mock snoring noises during Joshua鈥檚 opening remarks, said: 鈥淭he facial can鈥檛 fight for him, the fans can鈥檛 fight for him, he鈥檚 not the popular one, all I here is Tyson Fury now 鈥� he (Joshua) is a sucker.鈥�
But Joshua said: 鈥淚鈥檓 going to strip him of his soul in that ring. I鈥檓 going to reconstruct his face and his body on June 1.鈥�
CHEESEBURGERS AND HARD WORK
Miller, alongside Joshua on a stage at a hotel near London鈥檚 Heathrow Airport, said: 鈥淚鈥檝e been hearing AJ鈥檚 too posh, his nose is up here sometimes.
鈥淔or all the underdogs out there who are told they鈥檙e not good enough, I鈥檓 proof that with one or two cheeseburgers and hard work and dedication you can go far.鈥�
But Joshua insisted he too had known hard times.
鈥淚 got banned from the area I was growing up in because I was getting into too much trouble,鈥� he said.
鈥淭he state of my hands 鈥� this isn鈥檛 from boxing, this is from street-fighting. I鈥檝e changed my whole lifestyle around.
鈥淎ll this spirit this boy鈥檚 got, I鈥檓 going to strip him of his soul. I鈥檓 going to be a surgeon because I鈥檓 going to give him a makeover.鈥�
Last week Brooklyn native Miller, a former kickboxer, was adamant he would stop Joshua in seven rounds, a claim he repeated on Monday.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 need to think, I鈥檒l just get it done. You鈥檝e got to go balls to balls. If I ever doubted myself I would not have made it this far,鈥� he said.
鈥淭he game plan鈥檚 to stop him in seven rounds. You know how I feel about AJ, and my back-story and where I come from and where we鈥檙e going.鈥�
After abandoning plans to fight again at Wembley on April 13, Joshua is now trying to break in on the US market where Deontay Wilder, the WBC heavyweight champion and Fury have held sway since their controversial draw in Los Angeles in December.
The 29-year-old Joshua last fought in September at Wembley, stopping Russia鈥檚 Alexander Povetkin in seven rounds.