Anthony Joshua admits he will have to subdue the power of Alexander Povetkin as the world heavyweight champion prepares for a tough test against the Russian this weekend.
Joshua, the WBA, WBO and IBF champion, faces Povetkin at Wembley on Saturday.
The 39-year-old has only been beaten once in his career, a loss to Wladimir Klitschko in 2013, and boasts 24 knockouts from his 34 wins.
Assuming Joshua comes through unscathed all eyes will be on a potential bout to unify the division against WBC title holder Deontay Wilder.
But Joshua, 28, is not getting ahead of himself because he knows the threat posed by Povetkin.
“In the heavyweight division not only are they talented but one punch changes the course of the fight. We all know that story,” he said.
“He’s got that punching power, he’s got big knockouts on his record, so it’s down to me to handle business accordingly.
“He’s a threat with the left hook, but not only that, it’s how tough they are, how much do they want it?
“He could have the best left hook in the world but if I keep punching him and breaking him down it might stop him from doing that, so these attributes need to get shut down early.
“I’ve got to annihilate that from early on. He’s got a lot in his locker so I need to take control early. The last time at Wembley was against Klitschko, and I think Povetkin is the right opponent to bring that style of fight out of me. It’s all about the ‘W’[win].”
