IBF heavyweight champion Charles Martin puts his title on the line against Britain’s Anthony Joshua on Saturday (April 9) at the O2 Arena in London.
The American insists he is a driven man. “We grew up hard. Hard and hungry, no food no daddy. My uncle was the one who handled the man part of my life. I still saw a lot of stuff even as a kid. I had to fight every day, we had a tussle every day, somebody wanted to try us every day. I’ve got a lot of pent up anger inside of me, it’s just life. There’s a lot of things I don’t like expressing, it just stays within. That emotion comes out when I’m in the ring,” said Martin, speaking on Sky’s The Gloves are Off.
Joshua shrugged off the threat. “I’ve wisened up, I’ve been through my own fair share. If its hell fire, or clouds on paradise – so be it. I’ve already made the decision of where I want to get to. It’s about self-development for me because that’s what I got into boxing for. I needed some sort of discipline. I was looking at my own court case at the time, looking at double figures and I happened to end up in a boxing gym. I got found not guilty, carried on with my boxing and this is where it’s lead me now,” he said.
Martin warned, “‘I’m the champ, I’m gonna keep on being the champ. So I’m gonna knock him out, period. I don’t need to call no rounds, when I see it I’m going to do it. I’m going to get right over you, I’m going to step right over you. I walk this earth like a God, and that’s who I am.”
Joshua said, “‘Do I shatter his dreams? I think he knows what’s coming anyway. He walks this earth like a God? I’m blessed, my destiny’s written.”
