Klitschko says he can "totally read" Joshua

[montrealsuper]

Those are very strong words - "I can totally read" everything Joshua brings to the table - Translation: He can't do anything that can cause surprise - Those are very interesting choice of words by WK - Could this be a fight where experience schools the schoolboy?? http://spam.com/2017/02/01/has- ... a-already/

[tiny_acres]

The gap in experience is huge.
The gap in ring intelligence is even larger.
Wlad is old and slower now but as long as he does not get hit flush Wlad wins a wide decision.
If Joshua can get in and tag that chin we have a new King of the division.

I personally think Wlads experience will prevail

[ElJefe]

It's true that AJ and Wlad have similarities. At this stage I see Joshua as being more relaxed, more confident and more aggressive. Wlad however, taking the performance against Fury out of the equation, has a better jab, is better defensively and is a bigger puncher.

Joshua often lands a good 1-2, drops the opponent, they gets back up and then get hammered on the ropes until they can't throw back. If Wlad can neutralise the 1-2 then we'll have to see another side of Joshua's game, as of yet he hasn't demonstrated that he has another weapon to take you out (other than an uppercut against an exhausted Whyte), as Klitschko did/does with his left hook. Even if Wlad can neutralise the 1-2 though, we'll still have to see if he's willing to throw enough himself to discourage Joshua from simply throwing that right hand repeatedly until it lands.

A year ago, even after the Fury performance, I'd have gone with Wlad's proven skill, defence and experience. However after 18 months with no fight at the age of 40 I'll probably side with AJ given his youthful confidence, aggression and momentum. Saying that though, 2/1 odds on a guy who beat every top contender with ease for a decade before one defeat facing off against someone who doesn't have a win against a top 10 fighter is the definition of a value bet.

[leftrightleft]

Even though I think a lot of people are underestimating Wlad I think its a 50/50 fight. If I had to choose I would say Wlad wins the fight and the only reason why I think its 50/50 is because Wlad's been inactive and is 40+. However, I still think he will beat Joshua although I can see Joshua stopping Wlad with a combo I'm putting my money on Wlad for the win.

[montrealsuper]

Very good analysis by all -

[man]

The gap in experience is huge.
The gap in ring intelligence is even larger.
Wlad is old and slower now but as long as he does not get hit flush Wlad wins a wide decision.
If Joshua can get in and tag that chin we have a new King of the division.

I personally think Wlads experience will prevail

i think experience is hugely overrated.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Soon he'll be reading his shoes.

[lazboy]

This fight is a hard pick. If Joshua comes in with too much respect for Wlad and gives him too much distance and time thats not good. Will Joshua tense up and fatigue out because of the opponent, because of the occassion? Even though they are a similar size. I feel Joshua needs to bore in and land, maybe take a punch to close distance. Can he take a good clean punch? Will he be dissuaded if he gets hit?

Or the flip side. Wlads legs are shot, they looked plenty slow against Fury. He cant maintain a distance. Joshua picks him off with jabs and straights and that counter left hook and its night over.

[Blodhemn]

I'm sure he can. Joshua has a basic style. Despite this, the issue has been the issue that's plagued the second half of Wlad's career - lack of commitment due to fear of a counter. I don't see how he can overcome it at this point, seeing his last outing.

[In the know 85]

The gap in experience is huge.
The gap in ring intelligence is even larger.
Wlad is old and slower now but as long as he does not get hit flush Wlad wins a wide decision.
If Joshua can get in and tag that chin we have a new King of the division.

I personally think Wlads experience will prevail

You don't think wlad can ko AJ??
If wlad doesn't get tagged early.. Then he ko's Joshua, this definitely does not go to points.

[crusader]

Even if he can read Joshua I think he'll be physically overmatched at this stage

[Loki]

Wlad is, and will be, a superior technical fighter. It all depends if Wlad can pull the trigger or he will now let AJ hold the torch.

The Klitschkos are businessmen - that's why his defeat to Fury was, IMO, staged. They want a really big fight, 90k at Wembley (across Europe) is just shy of Floyd and PAC in terms of exposure.

I'm a big Vitali fan, less so Wlad - he's not a born fighter. For the HWs sake, let's hope AJ wins but, as I hear it, he probably won't as he screams Frank Bruno.

Tough one to call, but head says Klitschko (then he retires).

[lazboy]

Wlad's been posting on social media and in the pre fight pressers that he is obsessed. Always with the obsessed remarks and of course this "totally read" comment from the original poster. From my recollection I've never seen Wlad try to psyche out his opponent pre fight like this is (If you deem what he is saying to be a psyche out). Is he trying to psyche out Joshua, yes I believe he is. Why? I don't think he's as confident as he has been.

Or I could be talking bollocks and he''s tryng to build the fight. Either way, this is a hard pick but things slightly favour AJ. 55/45

[Kalan]

Those are very strong words - "I can totally read" everything Joshua brings to the table - Translation: He can't do anything that can cause surprise - Those are very interesting choice of words by WK - Could this be a fight where experience schools the schoolboy?? http://spam.com/2017/02/01/has- ... a-already/

It's true that AJ and Wlad have similarities. At this stage I see Joshua as being more relaxed, more confident and more aggressive. Wlad however, taking the performance against Fury out of the equation, has a better jab, is better defensively and is a bigger puncher.

Thinking like the above is why Wlad was a big favorite to beat Fury... And Ali was a big favorite to beat Spinks... And Frazier was a big favorite to beat Foreman... And Leonard was a big favorite to beat Norris... And Dempsey was favored to beat Tunney, though he'd been out of the ring for 3 years and had little chance... Astute bettors cleaned up on those fights -- because qualities are always attributed legends that they don't necessarily have.

Now it's true that Wlad has a world of experience -- but he needed it.. When he was 41-1 he was shlttcanned by Sanders.. He basically started out all over again with Steward.. As Steward put Wlad through his 1st drill, which was footwork, Wladimir laughed.. Manny snapped, "Ladimir, what are you laughing at?" ... Wlad said "The first boxing lesson I ever had when I was 9 years old this is exactly what they taught me." ... Steward said "That's why we're going over it again. You never caught onto it."

Wladimir admitted he's not a natural fighter like his brother.. He works extremely hard and has unreal discipline, but it takes him 5 X longer to learn anything than it took Joshua.. When AJ first pulled on bag gloves his 1st day in the gym, trainers were immediately impressed.. AJ was a champion sprinter and he had natural balance and quick movement.. He scoped out the range instinctively and responded with ducks and rolls exactly like he was being taught.. Trainers had big grins on their faces as they exchanged glances.

AJ boxes so relaxed and easily it looks like he's there to be hit.. Whyte, Martin. and Breazeale were all certain they had the beating of Joshua, just from studying his fights, which are all available.. He comes right at you very aggressively and there's a lot of Joshua to hit... It does look like you can read his punches and nail him... But when you get in there with AJ you find his jab in your face.. You try to jab him and his right hand counter nails you clean.. Pretty soon you're retreating like you're fighting GGG and you're not punching.. He's dominating the punch stats and the fight hasn't gotten out of the 1st round..

This is an important fight for AJ because Klitschko has so much experience and skill -- but it's experience and skill that's 1-dimensional like Muhammad Ali's.. Wlad has no body attack.. no inside game.. no real attacking skills.. and he grabs and holds when you get close.. AJ is not the kid with 7 fights who Klitschko used for a sparring partner several years ago and beat up as he pleased.. He's going into his 19th fight he has 44 rounds of experience... Klitschko has 4 X as many fights and 8 X as many rounds -- but he'll need every one of them to survive the 12.. He's facing a killer.

[punchoutsb]

Those are very strong words - "I can totally read" everything Joshua brings to the table - Translation: He can't do anything that can cause surprise - Those are very interesting choice of words by WK - Could this be a fight where experience schools the schoolboy?? http://spam.com/2017/02/01/has- ... a-already/

It's true that AJ and Wlad have similarities. At this stage I see Joshua as being more relaxed, more confident and more aggressive. Wlad however, taking the performance against Fury out of the equation, has a better jab, is better defensively and is a bigger puncher.

Thinking like the above is why Wlad was a big favorite to beat Fury... And Ali was a big favorite to beat Spinks... And Frazier was a big favorite to beat Foreman... And Leonard was a big favorite to beat Norris... And Dempsey was favored to beat Tunney, though he'd been out of the ring for 3 years and had little chance... Astute bettors cleaned up on those fights -- because qualities are always attributed legends that they don't necessarily have.

Now it's true that Wlad has a world of experience -- but he needed it.. When he was 41-1 he was shlttcanned by Sanders.. He basically started out all over again with Steward.. As Steward put Wlad through his 1st drill, which was footwork, Wladimir laughed.. Manny snapped, "Ladimir, what are you laughing at?" ... Wlad said "The first boxing lesson I ever had when I was 9 years old this is exactly what they taught me." ... Steward said "That's why we're going over it again. You never caught onto it."

Wladimir admitted he's not a natural fighter like his brother.. He works extremely hard and has unreal discipline, but it takes him 5 X longer to learn anything than it took Joshua.. When AJ first pulled on bag gloves his 1st day in the gym, trainers were immediately impressed.. AJ was a champion sprinter and he had natural balance and quick movement.. He scoped out the range instinctively and responded with ducks and rolls exactly like he was being taught.. Trainers had big grins on their faces as they exchanged glances.

AJ boxes so relaxed and easily it looks like he's there to be hit.. Whyte, Martin. and Breazeale were all certain they had the beating of Joshua, just from studying his fights, which are all available.. He comes right at you very aggressively and there's a lot of Joshua to hit... It does look like you can read his punches and nail him... But when you get in there with AJ you find his jab in your face.. You try to jab him and his right hand counter nails you clean.. Pretty soon you're retreating like you're fighting GGG and you're not punching.. He's dominating the punch stats and the fight hasn't gotten out of the 1st round..

This is an important fight for AJ because Klitschko has so much experience and skill -- but it's experience and skill that's 1-dimensional like Muhammad Ali's.. Wlad has no body attack.. no inside game.. no real attacking skills.. and he grabs and holds when you get close.. AJ is not the kid with 7 fights who Klitschko used for a sparring partner several years ago and beat up as he pleased.. He's going into his 19th fight he has 44 rounds of experience... Klitschko has 4 X as many fights and 8 X as many rounds -- but he'll need every one of them to survive the 12.. He's facing a killer.

[Kalan]

You won't be laughing on fight night Stupid.

[punchoutsb]

You won't be laughing on fight night Stupid.

I'm not laughing about fighters silly. I'm laughing at you.

[Kalan]

You're too idiotic for words

[Bard of Boxrec]

I was looking through that Kalan post and trying to work out what was unreasonable about it, and actually couldn't see anything.

Wlad is getting whooped in this fight. Easily.

[montrealsuper]

Wlad is a brighter boxing mind that you and he surely knows a lot more about Joshua than you do - WK is showing all the signs that he KNOWS what it takes to handle Joshua - He could have taken an easier fight vs a patsy - Fury really unsettled WK with his big mouth which really exposed WKs personal flaws and this really bothered and affected the normally cool and socially perfect WK - Fury had the confidence and mental edge and WK began to absorb and believe all the shit talk and was so humiliated and befuddled by it all that on fight night he had zero confidence and could never get anything going - he FROZE - Fury's crazy brain BIG mouth and weird style was WK's KRYPTONITE - Joshua does not present anything really different or special to other boxers WK has already beat - Joshua hasn't beaten anyone of note and now is taking a huge step up in class - This could be Holmes vs Cooney all over again - For those who don't know Cooney was a CAREFULLY protected hwt contender who just wasn't ready to compete against an all time legend - his managers totally overestimated Cooney and underestimated Larry Holmes - I see it that Joshua's managers are doing the same thing here with Klitschko who already knows everything he needs to know about Joshua based on their sparring experiences -

[punchoutsb]

I was looking through that Kalan post and trying to work out what was unreasonable about it, and actually couldn't see anything.

Wlad is getting whooped in this fight. Easily.

That's not surprising to me at all

[SaadOffTheDeck]

I was looking through that Kalan post and trying to work out what was unreasonable about it, and actually couldn't see anything.

Wlad is getting whooped in this fight. Easily.

I don't read kalans posts, but wlad is going to get his ass kicked. I'm looking forward to it.

[Impractical Poster]

AJ beats any version of Wlad. This will probably be Wlad's retirement fight.

[punchoutsb]

AJ beats any version of Wlad. This will probably be Wlad's retirement fight.

Absolutely too early for part one.

Part two is true.

[Impractical Poster]

AJ beats any version of Wlad. This will probably be Wlad's retirement fight.

Absolutely too early for part one.

Part two is true.

I've seen enough of both of them to come to an educated conclusion. They are both right around the same height, AJ has a slightly longer reach. Whenever Wlad faced an opponent anywhere near the skill level of a Joshua, he enjoyed physical advantages over them, and he would use them to his utmost advantage. Joshua looks to be more fluid and adaptable than Wlad ever was, and Wlad will not have the physical advantages over Joshua. Of course, a prime Wlad may have beaten Joshua, but I wouldn't have bet on it. I feel this fight is going to end in brutal fashion in Joshua's favor