Anthony Joshua to face unbeaten Italian in first pro fight

Olympic gold medallist Anthony Joshua will make his professional debut against unbeaten Italian Emanuele Leo on October 5.

Joshua has joined the paid ranks after taking gold in last year's Olympic Games and will face the 32-year-old Leo in his first heavyweight bout at London's 02 Arena, live on Sky Sports.

Leo has picked up eight wins, three by first-round knockout, but this will be the first time he has fought outside his home country.

The 6'6" tall Joshua will have a height advantage over his opponent, who picked up a points win in his last outing in September.

Joshua signed a deal with Matchroom promotions in July and will be hoping to impress when he appears on the undercard of Scott Quigg's world title clash.

Quigg was due to fight Yoandris Salinas for the WBA super-bantamweight belt on the David Haye-Tyson Fury bill before it was axed last weekend.

The Bury fighter's clash against the unbeaten Cuban has been switched to the capital and will headline the card.

Kevin Mitchell also returns to the ring against tough Mexican Marco Lopez, while Lee Selby defends his British and Commonwealth featherweight titles against Ryan Walsh.

Joshua's fellow Olympic gold medallist Luke Campbell has his second pro bout and unbeaten Prizefighter champions Larry Ekundayo and Glenn Foot will collide in a welterweight clash.

Another Prizefighter champion, Wadi Camacho battles former British title holder Tony Conquest at cruiserweight.

Somebody's 0 has got to go!

Eddie is having a tough time recently - Wouldn't mind a bet on Josh getting splattered in the first round

ShahenshahG wrote:Eddie is having a tough time recently - Wouldn't mind a bet on Josh getting splattered in the first round

Tough time how?

He may be undefeated but mathroom would have done their homework and he is most prob made for Joshua.

Bums don't manage to box in the world series, so noone can fault him for taking a difficult first fight...

More challenging than it needs to be a for his first pro fight, if he too nervous on the night and gets caught with a big shot it could all go horribly wrong.

He took some bombs in the world amateurs and the Olympics.  His chin is not in the Khan/Price category.  Plus he moves better than Bruno ever did. He has serious power from what I've read. He will do well.  A one round fight ending in less than two minutes. Shame he has a sleep inducing personality.

Unbeaten is one way of looking at it.

Part time boxer who's outpointed a handful of tomato cans is another.

It shouldn't even be competitive...

His risk is getting taken out late, TKO.

He looks almost over-muscled, a bit like Bruno, which with a lot of nervous energy could cause he to tire and fatigue. His chin looked good in the Olympics so I think he's ok on that front.

As long as this is only 4 or 6 rounds he should be fine. But this is no gimme fight, fair play for that.

Seanusarrilius wrote:

ShahenshahG wrote:Eddie is having a tough time recently - Wouldn't mind a bet on Josh getting splattered in the first round

Tough time how?

Ricky burns fiasco and losing his undercard in the haye fight.

azania wrote:He took some bombs in the world amateurs and the Olympics.  His chin is not in the Khan/Price category.  Plus he moves better than Bruno ever did. He has serious power from what I've read. He will do well.  A one round fight ending in less than two minutes. Shame he has a sleep inducing personality.

So you giving a description on a fighter you have never even watched????

Suppose its to be expected as you had about 4 fighters in your P4P list that you had never even heard of or watched.... 

He should fight Andy Flintoff, up and coming British hope, he's still unbeaten too

ShahenshahG wrote:

Seanusarrilius wrote:

ShahenshahG wrote:Eddie is having a tough time recently - Wouldn't mind a bet on Josh getting splattered in the first round

Tough time how?

Ricky burns fiasco and losing his undercard in the haye fight.

Ricky scoring was a fiasco but he kept his belt.

He moved Quigg to top this weekends card. And moved Luke Campbell? 1 week delay for both, hardly a disaster

It's an excellent card with Selby and Mitchell both in decent fights. Well, Selby is. God knows who Mitchell is in with.

Doesn't seem like an O2 card? Have they shut off the top 16,000 seats?

How the hell is this being promoted as the co headline with the scott quigg fight?! Should be fairly down on the card let him progress without too much pressure. £££ talks I suppose

Because Quigg wouldn't sell the card? More of the public will have heard of Joshua.

compelling and rich wrote:How the hell is this being promoted as the co headline with the scott quigg fight?! Should be fairly down on the card let him progress without too much pressure. £££ talks I suppose

This is my big concern, especially given his minimal amateur experience. I worry they're too desperate for him to be the next Bruno, a big popular public figure, and his career will be hurt accordingly.

They are following the Audley career plan.

It worked for Campbell in Hull so they're doing it again. Why fix it if it ain't broken?

Cant really say it ain't broken. Its only very recently that all this exposure is coming on.

Happened with Campbell and now with Joshua.

Never was there that hype with Price, Saunders etc etc.

This is also a cowpat card, Kevin Mitchell is as dedicated to boxing as Haye is to fighting.....and he is fighting an unknown.

Joshua is headlining an event in his first EVER pro outing.

And the joke of it all is the "world" title fight. The winner, incidentally, will be a poor mans version of Rigondeux

The headline fight for me is the Selby fight. Should be a cracker

The others should all me one sided beatings.