Round-By-Round - Anthony Joshua vs. Wladimir Klitschko - April 29th 2017

[Bodyshot3]

I can actually see Joshua doing this - potentially even by an early, spectacular stoppage - but with all the usual types of caveats attached

The main proviso being exactly how much Wlad has got left in the tank after this kind of prolonged break and whether the 40 marker represents a big drop off in his athletic ability.

Vitali rolled through the big Four-O just fine and it is tempting to think Wlad is made from the same stuff and has been just as professional/disciplined. The brothers have both arguably managed their bodies and careers in a way that sets them up for longevity.

But Wlad has had a very different kind of career with more camps, more fights and some of them much harder.
More miles on the proverbial clock basically.

Just not sure what were going to see from WK next time round and that keeps it interesting.

[davie]

This is one of these very tough calls.
Because it is so difficult to say where each man is at.
We know what Wlad brings, at his best.
But how far is he from his best.
We know how much power AJ carries and have a good idea of his talents. But we don't know how he copes at the very top level, we don't know how his chin stands up to real power. We don't know all his weaknesses or how his lack of movement could be exposed when he needs to think about defense instead of relentless pursuit of an opponent.

I could confidently say AJ isn't ready for prime Wlad but that ship has sailed.

[PredatorHayds]

I can see Joshua walking through him and stopping him early.

I don't feel Wlad can pull the trigger anymore. The jab, straight right has made opponents not go gung ho to test his questionable chin.

If they get this fight it's fantastic matchmaking.

Wlad will over someone 1 more payday. Hopefully it's AJ,Fury or Haye.

[BitPlayer]

I can see Joshua walking through him and stopping him early.

I don't feel Wlad can pull the trigger anymore. The jab, straight right has made opponents not go gung ho to test his questionable chin.

If they get this fight it's fantastic matchmaking.

Wlad will over someone 1 more payday. Hopefully it's AJ,Fury or Haye.

Wilder Ortiz, or even Parker is more interesting than Haye who hasn't fought near the top level in years and already lost to Wlad. Haye likely has declined atleast as much since then, which I don't think is near as much as what people make it out to be.

[wesshaw1985]

http://www.BS.com/hearn-most-j ... on--109621

[wesshaw1985]

http://www.BS.com/joshua-klits ... al--109808

[Frazier71]

No outcome would surprise here and that's why it's a great fight!

[boxingknockout]

Am I the only fella who would want Klit to Ko Joshua just to wipe that smile off Eddie hearns boat race!?

[Old Jack J]

Wlad by KO around 8 or 9 rounds. He may have to survive the first 2 or 3 rounds before establishing that jab and then pushing Joshua back. I still don't think Joshua chin is too clever and Wlad will land at some point. He isn't a Whyte, he'll make it work if he hurts Joshua.

[the_doctor]

Am I the only fella who would want Klit to Ko Joshua just to wipe that smile off Eddie hearns boat race!?

On this forum, Eddie is about as popular as Donald Trump at a feminist convention

[wesshaw1985]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTdLvEnwLQQ

[Neil Gee]

This is one of the fights I was afraid AJ would be thrown into too soon when he won the IBF in his 16th fight. Yet Klitscko looked so bad against Fury and he's in his forties now, makes you wonder if AJ is fighting him at the right time. I'm just these last few days finding myself leaning towards AJ as long as he keeps his desire to look good in check and doesn't become reckless early on. The thing is AJ has arrived on the world scene so suddenly that there are no common opponents to compare them against. We just don't know what kind of a fight (if any) K has left in him. So many imponderables.

[ILikeBeer]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTdLvEnwLQQ

Was it ever not in doubt?

[wesshaw1985]

no chance of the fight coming off in December now - http://www.BS.com/wladimir-kli ... ry--110054

[bbjc]

People are kidding themselves in regard to fury v klitchko. Fury beat him with movement using the longer reach to his advantage. Keeping him honest and basically doing to klitchko what hes done to many many opponents over the years.

Joshua doesnt have the level of movement of fury. Doesnt have the longer reach either. And wont outbox klitchko who still is good at what he does. Hes not gunshy...fury used his attributes to make him gunshy. You stick a smaller man in with klitchko and he ll do exactly what hes done to them for years. My moneys on joshua looking lost after the first few rounds if he was to fight him now.

Joshua isnt actually a great boxer. Furys the better boxer of the two. Josh might look a decent boxer when hes outboxing breazeale who basically had little offence to speak of. But we ll see how good he is at it when hes in with someone that can hurt him. Hes mostly beat people by throwing punches in numbers. I dont even think hes aiming half the time like amir khan...just his powers good enough to knock out the level of guys hes fighting atm. My moneys on klitchko getting him under control with the jab. His jabs better than joshuas. And as almost everyones found out if you try to move him back his right hand comes into play. It ll quickly stop joshuas punches in numbers. Joshua will find out why neither fury or klitchko really comitted when they fought each other.

[wesshaw1985]

http://www.BS.com/lennox-lewis ... ua--110218

[CiganoBoxer]

Some people must see things different to me ,Joshua dont have the movement or unpredictability of the gypsy king .
Wladimir would of had to have fell apart since his lost to Fury to be easy meat for the likes of AJ ,this whole supposed fight seems dubious to me .

[lillywhite14]

Joshuas has decent hand speed and can bang. You don't have to box on the backfoot, enjoy physical advantages and use movement to beat Wlad. He lost 3 other times remember and in all of them defeats his opponenet didn't do anything that Fury did the night he beat him.

Wlad could well have been finished since the Pulev fight, we may never know?

[afcpaul]

Klitschko out boxes AJ. Retires him in 8th. But, as previously said, AJ has a punchers chance to bang him out any where between 1 and 5.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Going with my Gut, Joshua. Klitschkos timing is starting to go, Joshua, is younger, taller, bigger, longer reach, more aggressive. Although Wlad has better technique I think all of those attributes will be enough at this stage of his career; I'd advise Joshua to pump out the jab and keep the pressure on Wlad, Wlad's not nimble enough to slip shots, and relies on being able to establish a rhythm and dicate distance, take that away from him, and he struggles.

[crusader]

How much difference does one inch of reach and not even an inch of height make? They're pretty much the same size, although I think Wlad's really struggling to pull the trigger these days and his accuracy seems to have declined. I'd expect the much fresher Joshua to beat up the shopworn 41 year old who has fought nearly 70 times in his 20 year career.

[jamesmcdonnell]

How much difference does one inch of reach and not even an inch of height make? They're pretty much the same size, although I think Wlad's really struggling to pull the trigger these days and his accuracy seems to have declined. I'd expect the much fresher Joshua to beat up the shopworn 41 year old who has fought nearly 70 times in his 20 year career.

Its makes a huge difference when youre used to being yhe taller longer guy. Joshua like furt wont have to be getting inside to land he can land from distance.

[crusader]

Doesn't it work both ways? AJ has fought only two opponents longer than Wlad, and neither were near WK's level (Cornish is area level and Breazeale is terribly slow). Given how miniscule any reach/height disparities are, I don't think Wlad would have to work his way inside, which wasn't the case for the vast majority of AJ's opponents.

Fury had a couple inches of height on Wlad plus five inches of reach (not maybe half an inch of height and one inch of reach), so I can see how that made a bigger difference, especially considering the manner in which Fury fought.

[BitPlayer]

How much difference does one inch of reach and not even an inch of height make? They're pretty much the same size, although I think Wlad's really struggling to pull the trigger these days and his accuracy seems to have declined. I'd expect the much fresher Joshua to beat up the shopworn 41 year old who has fought nearly 70 times in his 20 year career.

None really, since that's less than the "error" that these measurements somehow often go up and down, okay pretty much just up.

At what point did Bellew go from 6' 2" to 6' 3" again?

[crusader]

Probably at the same point his reach went from 74 to 78

edit: it's back at 74 now