Anthony Joshua will be at a 20-pound disadvantage when he defends his IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight titles against Andy Ruiz Jr at Madison Square Garden in New York this Saturday night.
Britain’s Joshua 22-0 (21) weighed in at 247-pounds while Californian Ruiz Jr 32-1 (21) scaled 268-pounds.
The unified heavyweight champion promised to make it an early night for UK fans, who will need to be up in the small hours of the morning to watch the fight.
“I won’t keep you up too long!” Joshua said.
The fight will be the first time Joshua has weighed in lighter than an opponent in five fights when he stopped 255-pound Dominic Breazeale in seven frames in 2016.
“Your weight, your training camp? Put that aside. It’s all about getting in the ring and doing the job,” Joshua said.
The 2012 Olympic gold medallist had some words of advice for Ruiz Jr when the pair went face-to-face after the weigh-in: “Bring a good fight, please.”
Joshua weighed in 2.5-pounds lighter than his previous bout against Alexander Povetkin last September and three-pounds lighter than when he stopped Wladimir Klitschko in 11 rounds in April 2017.
Ruiz Jr, who is a sizeable underdog in this fight, insisted he wasn’t there just to make up the numbers, delivering the following prediction: “An exciting fight. I’m not here to give up, or just for the payday. I’m here for legacy.”
