Joshua vs Povetkin weigh-in - as it happened: Brit comes in almost 2 stone heavier than rival ahead of Wembley fight
Joshua came in at 17st, 8lbs, 5oz, while the man who will try to prize his titles away weighs 15st, 12lbs
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
Anthony Joshua faces a gruelling test against mandatory Alexander Povetkin on Saturday evening, where not only will his WBA (super) strap be on the line at Wembley but his IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles too.
The pair will face off in front of an expected 80,000 strong crowd and as the unified champion described himself, it will be the "second toughest" contest of his professional career - behind Wladimir Klitschko of course, who famously became the first and only man to floor Joshua the last time he travelled to Wembley for a fight.
Many wanted and expected Joshua's opponent to be Deontay Wilder, with the idea of one man walking out with every possible belt available to them. Instead, and because of multiple reasons which pretty much all boil down to bravado and money, the American will face Tyson Fury before the year is out in a potential fight of the year contender.
Povetkin has lost just one of his 35 fights, losing on points to the great Klitschko in October 2013. Since then he has won eight consecutive fights, including a knockout victory over David Price on the Joshua-Parker undercard. Ominously, he has never been stopped.
Meanwhile, Joshua will be looking to extend his flawless professional record to 22-0 in his third fight at Wembley.
Please allow a moment for the live blog to load...
Hello and welcome to our coverage of the Anthony Joshua vs Alexander Povetkin weigh-in!
The two heavyweights will face off for the final time this afternoon ahead of their super fight at Wembley this weekend, where Povetkin will look to prize away not only the WBA title but his IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles too.
When it comes to AJ, the scale of every event is always big. Today is no different. If you're out and about and for some reason not following it via our live coverage (which of course you will be), you can go down to the weigh-in itself for free.
He might have the 'second hardest fight' of his career coming up on Saturday night, but the unified heavyweight champion of the world is keeping things relaxed and upbeat.
First up on the scales will be the undercard fighter fighters, which includes both Matty Askin and Lawrence Okolie, who fight for the British cruiserweight title.
Our man Tom Kershaw spoke to Okolie about his rise from McDonald's burger flipper to professional boxer and his story is well worth a read.
Not many words were exchanged between Joshua and Povetkin at yesterday's press conference but if you didn't quite manage to see it live, there are a few lines that are well worth a read. Have a quick recap while you wait for the two main fighters to hit the stage.
For those that think Joshua is just going to 'roll over' Povetkin on Saturday night, you may be in for quite a surprise.
The Russian fighter is not just fighting for the belts, but a whole nation. After hosting a successful World Cup, having a boxing world champion at heavyweight level, arguably the biggest prize in combat sport would propel Russia onto another level in terms of their power as a sporting nation.
The 39-year-old is well into the twilight years of his career but still poses a dangerous threat, a threat Joshua will know only too well. He fought on the Joshua-Parker undercard in Cardiff last time out, where he knocked David Price out inside the distance with what was a devastating finish.
His only defeat came at the hands of Wladimir Klitschko, who famously floored Joshua the last time the unified champion headlined Wembley.
The two headliners greet each other
Not long until things get going... we'll have full coverage of today's weigh-in throughout the afternoon.
Ahead of his 22nd fight, here's how Joshua has weighed in for his past three:
17st 4lbs 2oz vs Joseph Parker
18st 2lbs vs Carlos Takam
17st 12 lbs vs Wladimir Klitschko
Joshua all smiles ahead of his title defence
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments