Anthony Joshua has been the face of British boxing since he burst onto the scene when winning the gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. But now he has the chance to surpass all of his achievements so far by beating the legendary Wladimir Klitschko on April 29th.
Klitschko, arguably one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time, is in his twilight years but is still able to slug it out with the top-rated stars on the planet; testament to his passion and enthusiasm for the sport and his fitness. Over his illustrious career, Klitschko has won 64 of his 68 fights – with 53 of those coming by knockout.
[sam id=”1″ codes=”true”]
Prior to his well-documented defeat to Tyson Fury, Klitschko’s last defeat came way back in 2004. Whilst you could argue that the boxing world wasn’t as competitive as it is now, that would be undermining the Ukrainian’s achievements. After all, you’ve got to be an elite athlete to dominate a sport for well over a decade; no matter who your rivals are.
Is it the end of the “Klitschko era”? Is it is time for Joshua to well and truly announce himself as THE major player on the world stage? Or will the former champion turn back father time and overcome the young lion and prove he is truly a ring great. The 27-year-old Joshua has been destined for greatness since the Olympic Games but his promoter Eddie Hearn has been very careful with him so far. Now, he finally has the shot that he has been waiting for can he take it in the real true test of his pro career so far.
18 knockouts in 18 fights is an incredible record but Joshua’s opponents haven’t given him too much to think about as of yet. Klitschko may be ageing but he still has more experience and nous than Joshua’s rivals so far and the British star cannot afford to get complacent ahead of what could be a fight for the ages.
If Joshua can get his hands on the WBA and IBO heavyweight titles, it will elevate him to a completely new level on the boxing scene. You think he is a superstar now but Joshua will be able to command and control his own destiny if he wins this fight; and many believe that the Briton will do just that.
As of February 3rd, Joshua is priced at 4/9 with Betway to beat Klitschko in April and it would take a brave man to back against him. Had Klitschko been ten years younger, Joshua might struggle to cope with the Ukrainian’s aggressive style but that shouldn’t be a problem. At 40 years old, Klitschko’s time at the top is all but over…
The former champion of the world is getting old but you can only fight what is in front of you and it would be unfair to take anything away from Joshua. Growing up, the British man saw Klitschko as a role model and he will now have the chance to knock him out in a world title fight. And the best thing is; this is still just the beginning for Anthony Joshua’s boxing career on the international stage.
