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Wlad had a great jab, Joshua has a faster and more powerful one. I think that is the key. Past Joshua fights have seen his jab so fast, accurate and powerful, that there isn't much left of the opponent after a couple of rounds.
And that is how I see this going.
2-3 rounds of AJ tenderising Wlad's face, then a KO in the 4-5 th round.

SaadOffTheDeck wrote:While everyone calls the huggybear version his prime, the younger, more confident fighter would fare better against AJ.

that's also the way I see it by the way. Not sure what version of Wlad people in general think would do better against Joshua, but in my view the one who threw punches would be a start.

The frightened huggy bear one ('new improved', remember) would be a sitting duck. Joshua doesn't need much effort to close a distance that isn't very pronounced compared to the usual diet of outsized no-ambition scrubs Wlad was accustomed to feasting upon. Arguably the best of the challengers, Povetkin, was able to get inside at will (not that he was allowed to capitalise on it), and he had a large height and reach deficit.

Even that big slow turd Wach was able to land a flush right hand that shook Wlad. People might say everyone gets hit, no matter who they are. But the point is Wlad doesn't have the constitution to take those shots from a guy like Joshua, and he's smart enough to know it. Hell, when you're scared to throw some leather against Sultan fricken Ibragimov, you've got problems when you're actually facing a live body.

Anthony isn't just a guy with some range and power, he also has volume, can rattle off big combinations, mixing it to head and body, and Wlad hates any sort of pace or pressure. Joshua would just be Wlad's worst nightmare. He would rough up Wlad, put him in his shell, land, and he would win. He could beat him on up the outside as well as up close.

Wlad really wasn't a masterclass technician in his latter guise, he was just capable of manoeuvring overmatched fatties into a long range fight and grabbing when things got too up close and personal.

As for their upcoming fight, Wlad will throw less than 3 right hands for as long as it lasts.

AJ's cardio has to be perfect in this fight because Wlad will bank on this aspect. I noticed that Joshua after 7th rd gets exhausted.

apollo creed wrote:I noticed that Joshua after 7th rd gets exhausted.

How did you manage to notice that? He's never been past seven rounds and he scored a stoppage the only two times he went 7.

Jip wrote:wlad is robotic...

How long have we been hearing "robotic" nonsense. 53 KO's, yeah very "robotic".

Joshua has never even fought an authentic top ranked heavyweight. Charles Martin was the silliest heavyweight champ ever, having won his so called belt without landing a single punch. The only real question is has age really caught up with Wladimir. His last impressive win was in Nov 2014,

First to land a big punch wins for me. Wlad has a questionable chin but not as questionable as AJ. I worry given Whyte doesn't have the same power as a 50 year old Wlad.

davie wrote:I think, in his prime, Wlad was all wrong for Joshua.

AJ would have had an obvious chance if he could land flush, he has obvious power and a good offensive tool kit and we know Wlads chin can be exposed

But I feel Joshua's lack of quality footwork and movement would have found him struggling to close the distance, with Wlad the master of the half step back. His non-existent head movement would have seen him peppered with Wlads piston like jab and I think he'd have walked into his fair share of right hands too. Joshua has a decent chin but I think it's vulnerable enough to say he's not standing up to too many Wlad rights.

As for the battle inside, many have said he's too strong to let Wlad away with the clinching and wrestling. While I agree he's probably a match for him physically, I still think Wlad would be savvy enough to knock him out of his stride with the clinching he's famed for.

These things combined would have seen Joshua struggle to land in the early rounds and have seen him gassing a little and making mistakes by the mid-rounds where Wlad would have taken over. We know Wlad can do the distance.

I think of all the top level heavies, of the last few years, Wlads style, at his best, would have been the best suited to defuse Joshuas impressive arsenal

As it happens, it's a bit of a moot point. Wlad is fading and I reckon will probably be a little gun shy in there, Joshua will likely be too quick and busy for him and this fight has come too late for Klitshko.
What I would probably have called a 70/30 fight for Wlad in his best shape and at his sharpest, is probably now a 70/30 for Joshua

David what do you mean by backstop. Good post.

apollo creed wrote:AJ's cardio has to be perfect in this fight because Wlad will bank on this aspect. I noticed that Joshua after 7th rd gets exhausted.

That won't happen.. Joshua has gone more than 12 rounds while changing sparring partners often to keep them fresh...He's a very hard and disciplined trainer who doesn't get gassed in the least.. As for people who claim that he lacks head movement and footwork??? That's wishful thinking..

Joshua slips punches very well and counters well.. He cuts off the ring with ease and has very fast feet -- so I don't know where that stuff comes from. Maybe from the same mindset that compares him to Frank Bruno.. You need a guy to be beatable because you want him to be beaten -- so you start inventing stuff.

Wlads Jab will be enough to KO AJ. AJ is hardly the most elusive of boxers is he?

Wlad in 4.

It will be a cautious affair for a couple rounds with both men looking to establish the jab, AJ will soon start to throw big right hands and how Wlad reacts will determine the outcome of the fight.

If Wlad backs off, AJ will come forward throwing more heavy shots and will eventually find his target. But if Wlad tries to meet fire with fire it will become a 50/50 shootout for a minute until one man hits the deck.

I fear the former will likely be the case.

DazDiCanio wrote:Wlads Jab will be enough to KO AJ. AJ is hardly the most elusive of boxers is he?

Wlad in 4.

Joshua is very elusive... especially compared to champs like Jeffries, Willard, Dempsey, Sharkey, Schmeling, Carnera, Baer, Braddock, Louis, Walcott, Marciano, Patterson, Johansson, Liston, Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Spinks, Norton, Tyson, Douglas, Holyfield, Bowe, Lewis, Haye, and the Klitschko's ... and plus all the minor heavyweight champs who weren't worth a crap... The only guys competitive defensively with Joshua were Johnson, Tunney, and Holmes.

But I've seen all 3 on the deck in Title Fights... Joshua has yet to find the floor and I don't think he will.

Kalan wrote:

DazDiCanio wrote:Wlads Jab will be enough to KO AJ. AJ is hardly the most elusive of boxers is he?

Wlad in 4.

Joshua is very elusive... especially compared to champs like Jeffries, Willard, Dempsey, Sharkey, Schmeling, Carnera, Baer, Braddock, Louis, Walcott, Marciano, Patterson, Johansson, Liston, Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Spinks, Norton, Tyson, Douglas, Holyfield, Bowe, Lewis, Haye, and the Klitschko's ... and plus all the minor heavyweight champs who weren't worth a crap... The only guys competitive defensively with Joshua were Johnson, Tunney, and Holmes.

But I've seen all 3 on the deck in Title Fights... Joshua has yet to find the floor and I don't think he will.

He is not more ellusive than Ali. If Wlad can't hit him then he deserves credit, but then again Fury already done it, so it won't be nearly as spectatular. Looking ellusive against Breazeale, a boxer that looks like he is submerdged in quicksand or in slow motion, is a lot easier than against a Wlad or a Foreman or a Holyfeild.

Kalan wrote:

DazDiCanio wrote:Wlads Jab will be enough to KO AJ. AJ is hardly the most elusive of boxers is he?

Wlad in 4.

Joshua is very elusive... especially compared to champs like Jeffries, Willard, Dempsey, Sharkey, Schmeling, Carnera, Baer, Braddock, Louis, Walcott, Marciano, Patterson, Johansson, Liston, Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Spinks, Norton, Tyson, Douglas, Holyfield, Bowe, Lewis, Haye, and the Klitschko's ... and plus all the minor heavyweight champs who weren't worth a crap... The only guys competitive defensively with Joshua were Johnson, Tunney, and Holmes.

But I've seen all 3 on the deck in Title Fights... Joshua has yet to find the floor and I don't think he will.

FFS

yeah, Joshua is slick as they come like Chris Byrd.

Joshua hasn't been floored therefore he is one of the slickest defensive fighters ever, unbelievable logic. no thought whatsoever to quality of opposition,

just as an example:

Joshua's toughest fight was against Whyte, who himself went to the wire/ life and death against Chisora, who has never won a world title fight.

so essentially, Joshua's toughest fight has been against someone patently a level below world champions

a normal person might say it is too early and we haven't yet got enough evidence to rank Joshua's defensive greatness.

apollo creed wrote:yeah, Joshua is slick as they come like Chris Byrd.

It's all relative ... You look closely at Joshua's defensive skills development and he doesn't have the same problems as Wlad, Ali, Byrd, Lewis, etc.

Byrd wasn't that slick against Ike Ibeabuchi.. He got ripped with body shots followed by a 45er... fkkin' brutal

And Byrd couldn't keep Wladimir's jabs or right hands off of him.. fkkin' brutal

Wlad took straight shots right through his guard versus Sanders... fkkin' brutal

And Ali couldn't keep Henry Cooper or Doug Jones's shots off his jaw with about the same experience -- and Dillian Whyte could take those 2 lil guys

Earnie Shavers and Reynaldo Snipes laid a couple big ones on Larry Holmes' jaw... How good were those guys???

If Joshua got hit with any of those shots you guys would have a party ripping him to shreds... Whyte got a hook on him and that's all people remember.