By Edward Chaykovsky

IBF heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (18-0, 18 KOs) is preparing himself for the toughest and biggest fight of his pro career.

On April 29th, the Olympic gold medal winner will square off with former division ruler Wladimir Klitschko.

A record crowd of 90,000 is expected at Wembley to witness the contest. Sky Sports Box Office will carry the card in the UK, while the American TV rights have yet to be finalized.

During a recent interview with GQ Magazine, Joshua was asked to address the rumors that he was knocked out in sparring by Olympian Lawrence Okolie and badly rocked in a separate session by 19-year-old heavyweight prospect Daniel Dubois.

A few months ago, David Price stated in several interviews that he practically knocked Joshua out in a past sparring session. Joshua confirmed the incident, but also stated that it happened several years ago when he was still an amateur and Price was a pro.

Joshua would neither confirm or deny the incidents with Okolie and Dubois, but he also made it known that he's not beyond the realm of taking damage during sparring sessions, and his main agenda during sparring is not to inflict maximum damage but rather to experience actual fight scenarios.

“In my code, the fighters’ code, it is not good to talk about sparring. If someone invites you to spar, they are inviting you into their secret camp, their inner circle. So I don’t think it is fair to betray that trust by talking about it... I don’t go in there to prove a point. If anything, I like to take more punishment because that is how I learn about myself," Joshua said.

"What is the point of going into sparring and beating everyone up, when in a real fight the tables might turn and I don’t know how to handle it? I want to practice what it feels like to be hit and hurt. You have to learn how to defend, to be slick when the punches are raining down.”