Anthony Joshua vs Kubrat Pulev: Security step in as Marku and McGowan clash in hotel

Security were forced to defuse a heated confrontation last night inside Matchroom’s hotel bubble ahead of Anthony Joshua versus Kubrat Pulev. The British heavyweight world champion defends his WBA, WBO and IBF straps tomorrow night at the SSE Arena with all of the card’s fighters currently housed at the Hilton Hotel in Wembley, courtesy of Eddie Hearn.

Tensions boiled over in one of the corridors at around 10:30pm last night, following a war of words on Twitter between Macaulay McGowan and Florian Marku.

Mancunian McGowan has stepped in to fight Kieron Conway on the undercard in a super-welterweight contest after Olympic bronze medalist Souleymane Cissokho was forced to pull out of the fight.

Yet it wasn’t his opponent that McGowan came to blows with, after taking aim at Albanian dangerman Marku.

In an interview with Boxing Social from his hotel room, McGowan outlined his intentions to move down to welterweight to fight Marku, who he labelled a “little gobby midget”.

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McGowan then tweeted several pictures en route to his room where Marku was waiting for him, as security stepped in.

In footage shared by Matchroom Boxing, Marku began to approach McGowan as he was ushered down the corridor and back towards his own room.

The unbeaten ‘Albanian King’ said in broken English: “Maybe you are stupid and have been kicked so many times in the head.

“I’m going to break your tooth, why do you say things that you may not do?

“I don’t know him, this f****** stupid guy, if he comes to my room I will close the door and I will make him cry.”

Once the situation had cooled down, Marku threatened to “find him” after explaining what had happened to his coach.