‘Hungry’ Joshua says no celebration if he beats Ruiz

DIRIYAH, Saudi Arabia: Anthony Joshua said Wednesday he will not celebrate if he regains his world heavyweight title, as he faced off with rival Andy Ruiz in a final press conference before their rematch in Saudi Arabia.

Joshua seeks to win back the IBF, WBA and WBO titles that he lost to Ruiz in a shock June defeat in New York in a high-profile duel on Saturday, dubbed “Clash on the Dunes”.

The British boxer, 30, said he was “hungry, determined and focused” as he appeared alongside Ruiz in a press conference in Diriyah, close to the Saudi capital Riyadh.

“I am not here to put on a show, I am here to win,” he said.

“When I regain those belts... I am going to keep calm, stay focused. It’s not a time to celebrate. It’s a time to keep that challenger mindset and move on to the next target.”

But Ruiz insisted he would stay unbeaten. “There’s no way that I’m going to let these belts go,” he said.