BRITAIN’S WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT champion Anthony Joshua will put his titles on the line against Alexander Povetkin of Russia on 22 September.
Joshua added the World Boxing Organisation heavyweight belt to the World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation straps he already held when he beat New Zealand’s Joseph Parker in Cardiff in March.
Since then Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has been trying to set up a unification bout with World Boxing Association heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder, but has not yet managed to do a deal with the American’s camp.
The WBA told Joshua he must fight former champion Povetkin, their mandatory challenger, and the bout will take place at Wembley Stadium.
38-year-old Povetkin (34-1-0) demonstrated his considerable punching power with a fearsome knockout of Britain’s David Price on the undercard of Joshua’s win over Parker at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.
Joshua won his first world title in 2016 and has made five defences, taking his record to 21-0 with 20 knockouts.
Wilder, 32, improved to 40-0 with 39 knockouts when he knocked out previously unbeaten Cuban Luis Ortiz in the tenth round in Brooklyn, New York, on 3 March.
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