The boxers of 'The Comeback' fights, scheduled to take place in Jeddah on Saturday, confirmed their readiness for the big event during a press conference held at the Promenade Jeddah, attended by a large media presence.

Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua began his remarks about his bout against Albanian Christian Branga by emphasizing his full readiness, stressing that his focus is not only on his opponent but on every element of the opposing camp. He said: 'I am fully focused. It’s not just about the opponent, but the entire team; my coach against his coach, my physiotherapist against his, my strategy against his strategy, and me against him in the ring. In the end, may the best man win.'

For his part, world champion Hamza Sheeraz affirmed that winning the WBO super middleweight title did not change his mentality or work ethic, explaining that the short gap between his fights helped him maintain his focus.

He said: 'I will not repeat the mistake of staying away from competition, and I will seize every opportunity to defend my title.'

Clips from the press conference for The Comeback event, held at the Promenade Jeddah, with an elite group of boxers in attendance ahead of the anticipated fight night. pic.twitter.com/zsAcUV2rns

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He added that having a complete team led by coach Andy Lee helped him remain humble and pushed him to continue developing inside and outside the ring, stressing that he always strives to give his best in every fight.

Meanwhile, Matchroom Boxing chairman Eddie Hearn described the bout between world champion Josh Kelly and Irish boxer Caoimhín Agyarko as one of the strongest fights of the evening, affirming that Kelly proved his place among the elite after defeating Murtazaliev, while Agyarko enters the fight with a perfect professional record of 18 wins without any loss, making it a wide-open contest.

Hearn said the winner of this fight will get a chance to face one of the biggest names in boxing, noting that the matchup was capable of achieving crowd success wherever it was held, but holding it on 'The Comeback' card in Jeddah gives it a greater global dimension.

Hamza Sheeraz pledged to defend his title (Asharq Al-Awsat)

For his part, world champion Josh Kelly affirmed that winning the title brought a major transformation in his personality and self-confidence, saying: 'Becoming a world champion changes a lot inside you; I feel like a new version of myself.'

He added that he will enter the fight with great confidence to prove the difference in level, stressing that his current confidence makes him capable of competing with any of the top boxers in his division, and that the fans will see an outstanding performance in the ring.

In contrast, his Irish opponent Caoimhín Agyarko stressed that his team was the one that initiated the request for this fight immediately after his previous bout fell through, rejecting rumors that Kelly's camp chose him for the matchup. He said: 'We requested this fight from the moment our previous fight was canceled, and my manager contacted Matchroom directly to ask for a fight with Josh Kelly.'

He added that this fight is not an optional title defense but an early mandatory requirement, expressing confidence in his ability to take the belt and achieve the biggest victory of his professional career.

During the face-off moment, a verbal altercation occurred that nearly escalated into a physical fight between the boxers, which was quickly stopped by the organizers.

On Friday, the official weigh-in for the boxers will take place, followed by the final face-offs between all participants at the Promenade Jeddah at 8:00 PM, as the last stop before the anticipated fight night, where all boxers will have their official weights recorded.

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