Eddie Hearn, promoter for Anthony Joshua, has rejected any claim that his boxer will be more vulnerable to power shots with a slimmed down frame.
Joshua made good on his promise to weight less for the rematch with IBF, IBO, WBA, WBO world champion Andy Ruiz - as the British star came in at 237-pounds.
Ruiz came in at a very heavy 283.7-pounds - which surprised many who expected him to come in at a lighter weight.
Ruiz stopped Joshua in seven rounds back in June. Joshua went down four times in the fight. The rematch happens on Saturday in Saudi Arabia.
Joshua is the lightest that he's weighed been since 2014.
And there are some who fear the lighter weight could affect his punch resistance.
"He’s probably about three pounds lighter than when he boxed [Wladimir] Klitschko [in April of 2017]," Hearn told IFL TV.
"His punch resistance wasn’t too bad that night, was it? He got up off the deck. He got smashed to pieces with every shot in the book in the fifth round and kept on coming."
Hearn is also not paying any attention to the higher weight of Ruiz. He views the contest as a very even clash - but also expects Joshua to walk away with a knockout win.
"He is pumped for the this fight, I am so f---ing pumped for this fight. Nervous, excited – everything. I want him to win so bad," Hearn said.
"Ruiz 20st 3lbs… I’ve got a lot of respect for Ruiz because when I’ve eaten a lot I don’t want to take my top of either. I’ve said I don’t think it matters about Ruiz’s weight. What is he ten pound heavier? AJ is ten or eleven pounds lighter. He is fired up like a stallion ready to go for this fight. The way everyone looks on the scales, I don’t think it matters that much. It’s a 50/50 fight and I believe AJ will knock him out inside eight rounds."
