Anthony Joshua.

[dominik]

I don't think Joshua will ever fight Wladimir. by the time Joshua fights for world title fights wlad will probably be retired. we might see Joshua vs haye tough.

[VG_Addict]

If I were Joshua's manager, I'd have him fight Johnson, Joey Abell (He's a hard-punching southpaw), and Ustinov in 2015.

Then, I'd have him fight Wach in 2016.

[lefty]

AJ won't be fighting for a world title for at least another two years. He has only been a pro for a year. They have no need to rush him.
I suspect it would be another 10-12 fights at least before he challenges for a title, assuming he keeps improving etc
They will go the British, Commonwealth route with him which means no Wach, Ustinov or Thompson just yet.

Get him sparring with Wlad as often as possible, and the rest of the established top heavies.

Eddie is talking and seems serious about Joshua fighting the likes of Price and Fury and what have you by next summer.

[The Great John L]

AJ won't be fighting for a world title for at least another two years. He has only been a pro for a year. They have no need to rush him.
I suspect it would be another 10-12 fights at least before he challenges for a title, assuming he keeps improving etc
They will go the British, Commonwealth route with him which means no Wach, Ustinov or Thompson just yet.

Get him sparring with Wlad as often as possible, and the rest of the established top heavies.

Eddie is talking and seems serious about Joshua fighting the likes of Price and Fury and what have you by next summer.

Good choices for him. They're both chinny and Fury is clumsy and easy to hit as well.

[lillywhite14]

AJ won't be fighting for a world title for at least another two years. He has only been a pro for a year. They have no need to rush him.
I suspect it would be another 10-12 fights at least before he challenges for a title, assuming he keeps improving etc
They will go the British, Commonwealth route with him which means no Wach, Ustinov or Thompson just yet.

Get him sparring with Wlad as often as possible, and the rest of the established top heavies.

Eddie is talking and seems serious about Joshua fighting the likes of Price and Fury and what have you by next summer.

I think that would only happen if one of Fury or Price loses before then. I don't think either would be interested in Joshua for a while.

[pound per pound]

Joshua is a large man with skills and decent power. He'll go far, but I don't think his durability and chin are any better than say Fury.

[lefty]

AJ won't be fighting for a world title for at least another two years. He has only been a pro for a year. They have no need to rush him.
I suspect it would be another 10-12 fights at least before he challenges for a title, assuming he keeps improving etc
They will go the British, Commonwealth route with him which means no Wach, Ustinov or Thompson just yet.

Get him sparring with Wlad as often as possible, and the rest of the established top heavies.

Eddie is talking and seems serious about Joshua fighting the likes of Price and Fury and what have you by next summer.

I think that would only happen if one of Fury or Price loses before then. I don't think either would be interested in Joshua for a while.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1ewwn0PDyE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9kn4xvZWrE

There's a strong rumour going around that apparantly was backed up by people that where there from both camps that Price either knocked out or heavily knocked down Joshua in sparring. I'm not sure if it was before the olympics though so when he was still an amateur. Price seems to really want the fight though.

[Ricky_]

Maybe i'm just a cynic, but is anyone else thinking it's a matter of time before Joshua is found out?

[dominik]

Maybe i'm just a cynic, but is anyone else thinking it's a matter of time before Joshua is found out?

I think joshua has a solid chin. he fought some pretty hard punchers in the amateurs, most notably medzhidov who probably hits as hard as anyone in the pros.

wilder and price while both being huge punchers have already shown signs of chin weakness in the amateurs but joshua has not.

[Ricky_]

Maybe i'm just a cynic, but is anyone else thinking it's a matter of time before Joshua is found out?

I think joshua has a solid chin. he fought some pretty hard punchers in the amateurs, most notably medzhidov who probably hits as hard as anyone in the pros.

wilder and price while both being huge punchers have already shown signs of chin weakness in the amateurs but joshua has not.

It's not that I suspect he is chinny... I suspect he's not skillful enough.

[lillywhite14]

I've read rumours of Joshua knocking Price out in sparring. Fury also admitted Joshua gave him grief in sparring a few years ago

Who knows?

[dominik]

Maybe i'm just a cynic, but is anyone else thinking it's a matter of time before Joshua is found out?

I think joshua has a solid chin. he fought some pretty hard punchers in the amateurs, most notably medzhidov who probably hits as hard as anyone in the pros.

wilder and price while both being huge punchers have already shown signs of chin weakness in the amateurs but joshua has not.

It's not that I suspect he is chinny... I suspect he's not skillful enough.

well he was a top Amateur (even though I think he got the Gold medal gifted- but he also made the worlds final the year before the olympics which was probably an even bigger achievement).

I think he is not quite as talented as usyk when it Comes to boxing skills but he does have solid fundamentals (otherwise you don't make olympic medals), is physically huge and seems to be at least an above average athlete. he also was able to pack punches from medzhidov, dycko and Savon so his chin at least should be decent (of course you have to consider he wore a helmet but still Price and wilder got dropped in the amateurs).

he could of course still fail but he does look good so far and his Amateur Background suggests that he has real skills.

[Bard of Boxrec]

Maybe i'm just a cynic, but is anyone else thinking it's a matter of time before Joshua is found out?

I think joshua has a solid chin. he fought some pretty hard punchers in the amateurs, most notably medzhidov who probably hits as hard as anyone in the pros.

wilder and price while both being huge punchers have already shown signs of chin weakness in the amateurs but joshua has not.

It's not that I suspect he is chinny... I suspect he's not skillful enough.

Not skillful enough for the oh-so-skillful heavyweights in today's scene?

Lol

[Ricky_]

Not skillful enough for the oh-so-skillful heavyweights in today's scene?

Lol

His pro career is 12 months old. If we're talking world titles then yes, he'll find himself in some tough fights and against skilled heavyweights making that level - they come and go. I don't think Joshua is going to be able to swim in the deep water because he only learned the basics 7 years ago, he was 18 years old before he'd ever laced a glove. I think he's going to find himself lacking in fundamentals when he comes across a skilled heavyweight who he can't blast out.

[Ricky_]

What can the Olympic champion really learn from facing someone, who at this stage of his career, is considered really quite dire?

I bet Audley Harrisson thought the same first time he boxed Sprott.

Sprott is pretty much past it now, he was once a durable European gatekeeper and has achieved a lot consider he is a tire fitter. Hopefully he still has enough in the tank to cause Joshua a few problems early on and give us something of interest.

[lillywhite14]

It's almost a pointless fight. Remember, it's a British title eliminator. So in theory, after blowing away Sprott in short time, Joshua should be looking to fight for the actual title pretty sharpish.

[lefty]

I think joshua has a solid chin. he fought some pretty hard punchers in the amateurs, most notably medzhidov who probably hits as hard as anyone in the pros.

wilder and price while both being huge punchers have already shown signs of chin weakness in the amateurs but joshua has not.

It's not that I suspect he is chinny... I suspect he's not skillful enough.

well he was a top Amateur (even though I think he got the Gold medal gifted- but he also made the worlds final the year before the olympics which was probably an even bigger achievement).

I think he is not quite as talented as usyk when it Comes to boxing skills but he does have solid fundamentals (otherwise you don't make olympic medals), is physically huge and seems to be at least an above average athlete. he also was able to pack punches from medzhidov, dycko and Savon so his chin at least should be decent (of course you have to consider he wore a helmet but still Price and wilder got dropped in the amateurs).

he could of course still fail but he does look good so far and his Amateur Background suggests that he has real skills.

Do you remember the olympic gold medallist that Cotto beat the shit out of in the pro's? He was the guy that actually beat Miguel at the olympics. Anyway, his boxing skills wernt that great to be honest (just going on the logic of if you win a gold medal or whatever you automatically have great boxing ability)

[davie]

Maybe i'm just a cynic, but is anyone else thinking it's a matter of time before Joshua is found out?

I don't know about found out, but there is definitely too much hype in the UK about him just now,
people, fans and media, are getting far too excited and expecting the world from this lad.

he has the tools, both physically and technically, he also seems quite grounded and level headed, so with the right progression and experience he could reach the top, but right now he is smashing up bums. That's not a criticism, he's only had 9 fights, he's supposed to be smashing nobodies and he has looked good doing it.

i did think he was a bit Frank Bruno like, technically sound and really solidly built, but a little rigid and i felt a little too much of a nice guy.
But he looks to be a bit more relaxed and loose in there in his last 2 fights and has shown a bit of spite as well, even a bit of nastiness when he hit Airich on the floor. As much as I don't condone that particular manouvre, it gave me an insight that he's perhaps a bit less of a nice guy than i thought.

If Anthony is schooled correctly, he could go to the top. the only thing we then have to worry about is whether he does have chin issues, but we only find that out when he gets hit. Until then it's speculation

[Bard of Boxrec]

even a bit of nastiness when he hit Airich on the floor. As much as I don't condone that particular manouvre, it gave me an insight that he's perhaps a bit less of a nice guy than i thought.

He didn't hit Airich when he was down. Neither of Airich's gloves had touched the canvas at the point when that punch was thrown and the ref was only just stepping in.

[Bard of Boxrec]

I don't think the ref was thinking about whether the guy had touched the canvas somehow, he just looked at Airich, thought LOLZ HE'Z DOWN and stepped in. To be fair, I think nearly all refs would have stepped in there too as Airich was seemingly defenseless, but technically if he was stepping in there it should have been to end the fight. No standing 8 count. This could have been a good time for it.

[Bard of Boxrec]

Funny to see a chilled guy like Joshua get dragged into the trash talk mix with Fury.

Somehow I don't expect him to play along at this stage.

[The Great John L]

Despite his relative inexperience, I'd expect AJ to stop the clumsy, easy to hit and chinny Fury.

[Bard of Boxrec]

Despite his relative inexperience, I'd expect AJ to stop the clumsy, easy to hit and chinny Fury.

Yes, and easily.