Enlightened-One wrote:"Beating Klitschko would make me an overnight legend, says Joshua"
Britain's IBF world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua believes beating Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley stadium in April would raise his status to the level of a "legend".
"This is a fight that can change (me) from champion to legend overnight," he told a news conference on Wednesday to promote the April 29 bout.
Does that mean that Leon Spinks should be considered a "legend" for defeating an over-the-hill version of Muhammad Ali?
There’s nothing wrong with a little bit of hype, embellishment and positivity, but Joshua’s claim is pushing things too far for my liking.
Joshua is already a legend. Fewest rounds to a Heavyweight Title. Leon Spinks took 15 rounds to beat Ali so AJ became Champ with fewer total rounds elapsed in his career. AJ has a 100% KO ratio after 3 World Heavyweight Championship Fights. Look at AJ's shallow amateur career and his rapid advance is even more amazing. But this is a dangerous fight for AJ ... Klitschko has vast experience and he knows a lack of experience plus overconfidence are AJ's 2 biggest hurdles to overcome. He won't be planning on winning a decision. All of AJ's fights are out there for Wlad to study. He needs to find quirks in his jab a la Max Schmeling's famous KO of Joe Louis. He has plenty of material to study because all of AJ's fights are out there. I don't see any holes but I'm not studying every second of Joshua's fights. Every boxer has unique things they tend to repeat.
WK can be a brilliant counter puncher, but a big shot never reached Fury. He was contending with a 6'9" man with an 85" reach who has innate boxing instincts. Wlad's experience didn't mean crap as he never got a single big opening. Joshua is also a natural boxer and much more disciplined than Fury, so however WK intended to solve the Fury problem he's going to turn that on Joshua.
Joshua is one of the best natural right hand counter punchers I've ever seen -- but It's not a good idea to fight guys like Eric Molina who can't show you anything.. Nothing is coming back at you so your vigilance tends to drop -- like Robinson losing to Turpin after fighting a bunch of scrubs in non-title fights. But AJ needs very sharp spar mates who have height and reach, and he'll be good. The first 3 or 4 rounds will be very tense like the opening gambits of a chess match. Then AJ will start pushing the pace - getting inside... WK will be warned repeatedly for holding... AJ needs to be vigilant on the left hook as well as the jab and the right -- Wlad will plan something he doesn't expect and possibly sees something nobody else sees.. I see AJ going for the finish in the 9th or 10th round.. He'll stop Wlad late -- maybe by clean KO ...
AJ is a legend in the making -- but there's a lot of great Heavyweights out there right now. It WILL be an interesting 4 or 5 years for the Heavyweight Division and AJ is the focal point.. Wlad, Haye, Parker, Ortiz, Povetkin, Wilder, and even Fury -- bring those boys on because there'll be new Heavyweights 'round the bend in 3 years... Just don't do a Mike Tyson.
