The most anticipated heavyweight title fight of the year is upon us this Saturday, April 29 when the most exciting prospect the division has seen in three generations takes on one of its greatest champions of all time.
Anthony Joshua has taken the heavyweight division by storm since turning pro three-and-a-half years ago, winning 18 straight fights, all by knockout. Wladimir Klitschko, the Ukrainian, who will line up in the opposite corner at Wembley Stadium, is regarded as one of the most technically proficient champions of all time, boasting a record of 64 wins from 68 bouts and is a former WBA, IBF and WBO belt holder.
While the build-up to the fight has been cordial, the trash-talk limited to Klitschko saying one of his punches will either send Joshua to the hospital or the undertaker’s, it seems more and more the case that this fight will be career-defining for both.
Here is how our respective writers see the fight playing out.
Why Anthony Joshua will win — Steve Luckings
Dan Mullan / Getty Images
The rise of Joshua, Britain’s 2012 Olympic gold medallist, has been nothing short of meteoric since he first stepped into the ring as a professional on October 5, 2013. That night he stopped Italy’s Emanuelue Lue inside the first three minutes. He has been knocking out opponents ever since.
In 17 subsequent fights he has amassed 17 victories all by knockout. It is here he stands his best chance of defeating Klitschko to retain his IBF Heavyweight title.
When Joshua lands a paw on his opponents, the signs of trauma are almost immediately visible: legs turn to jelly, hands cover up in panic mode, doom is imminent. Fighters know instinctively when they have hurt their opponent and none are quicker than Joshua at moving in for the kill.
It is unlikely Klitschko will deviate too far from the tactics that saw him dominate the division for a decade: establish presence in the middle of the ring, work behind robotic jab, avoid being hit. Expect Joshua to take a few rounds to find his range and rhythm, but when he does, as the Watford-born bomber told The Daily Telegraph in a recent interview: "I'll unleash hell."
Klitschko has not fought since being unceremoniously dethroned by Tyson Fury in Dusseldorf, Germany in November 2015. While two subsequent rematches were scrapped due to reasons beyond the Ukrainian’s control, it is the longest period of his career without stepping into a ring.
Klitschko fought 13 times in 1997 and a further nine times in 1998 as he looked to establish himself among the sport’s elite. Since then he has routeinly fought twice a year.
While the Ukrainian’s fighting style hardly passes for entertainment, to label Klitschko as merely workmanlike belies a studious and deep-thinking sportsman dedicated to his craft. But he is a fighter who needs to establish a rhythm and an area Joshua can exploit if his 41-year-old opponent fails to get that monster jab working from the opening bell.
History will remember Klitschko and his older brother, Vitaly, much more favourably than their contemporaries did. The brothers have been much maligned for handpicking opponents much more likely to succumb to their amateur boxing background.
But they could only defeat who was available and put in front of them. Even at this stage of his career, Joshua looks likely to succeed any of Klitschko’s previous 68 opponents achieved in the ring.
To say Joshua has been tasked with rescuing the heavyweight division, traditionally boxing’s blue riband weight class, from the doldrums is no understatement. While boxing purists will point to Floyd Mayweather Jr’s ability to avoid taking shots and Oscar de la Hoya’s ability to outshine even the bight lights of Las Vegas, we still crave big men who are more knockout artists than feather-fisted.
At 27, standing 6ft 6ins, weighing in at a hulking 250 pounds and possessing a body Greek gods could only wish for, Joshua’s power and athleticism are the embodiment of what most of us mere mortals would conjure up if we were sculpting the perfect heavyweight.
Klitschko, who at 41 boasts a physique that puts men half his age to shame, will go down in history as a great champion. On Saturday, in front of an expected 95,000 sell-out crowd at Wembley Stadium, Joshua can take his first steps on the road to greatness.
Why Wladimir Klitschko will win — Jon Turner
Kai Pfaffenbach / Reuters
Anthony Joshua is a physical specimen, there are no two ways about it. He possesses muscles in places that most people don’t even know exist.
The heavyweight world champion has one-punch knockout power in both hands and every opponent to date has been overwhelmed by his brute force.
The way it is being portrayed by many, Wladimir Klitschko is set to be the latest victim as Joshua stampedes through the heavyweight division and continues his rise to superstardom.
But Klitschko is no shrinking violet. The Ukrainian and Joshua are identical heights, six foot, six inches (198cm), and the Briton’s reach advantage is a mere one inch.
Granted, that does not tell the whole story, and the physical advantage is with Joshua. But the image being painted of Klitschko as a lamb to the slaughter is way off the mark.
Klitschko is one of the most accomplished boxers in history, and the fact remains that Joshua has never faced a fighter of his calibre, both in terms of his athleticism and skill set.
Meanwhile, Klitschko has faced “bangers” before and has for the most part prevailed. Were those heavy hitters in the same league as Joshua? Perhaps not, but the game plan will likely remain largely the same.
It will be on Joshua to go on the front foot, find a way past the famous stiff Klitschko jab and to move his opponent away from the centre of the ring. David Haye notoriously failed to provide the answers in 2011, and while on that occasion Klitschko had a significant size advantage, Joshua will not find it a straightforward task.
Additionally, Klitschko is far from a one-trick pony with a feather-duster punch. If Joshua leaves himself open — and question marks do remain about the solidity of his defence — the Ukrainian is more than capable of landing the power punches that can end a fight.
Let’s face it, Joshua has not been tested. We are yet to see how far he can dig or how impressive his ring intelligence is. He has not needed those powers of reserve so far, but Klitschko will expose any chinks, if they do exist.
We are often told about the importance of experience. Its value is demonstrable across all sports but boxing is an entirely different beast, and inside the squared circle, experience can make all the difference. One fighter on Saturday night has it in spades, the other a relative novice. Klitschko knows how to react and respond to mid-fight setbacks, Joshua is yet to even face a setback.
The primary doubts surrounding Klitschko relate to his age and his recent inactivity. At 41 and having not fought since his defeat to Tyson Fury 18 months ago, how sharp he will be on April 29 could be the make-or-break.
If Father Time has caught up with Klitschko, Joshua’s sheer physicality could overwhelm the former world champion.
However if, as Klitschko has insisted in the build-up, he is indeed feeling fresher than ever and is “obsessed” to right the loss to Fury, there could be a mini-shock on the cards at Wembley on Saturday.
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
