as fury had against john mcdermott. say what you like about mcdermott but he was a tough game strong fighter with decent technique and really unlucky not to get the decision against a green tyson in the first fight, fury was 7-0, mcdermott had 30 odd fights. whyte isnt a journeyman but i doubt hes got the veteran tricks and experience of mcdermott, when joshua clips him. joshua is ahead of fury at the same stage of there careers though. twice as many fights.
I think it's a completely different fight really. Like you say Fury was 7-0 at the time, but more importantly I think he was only what... 19 years old around the time of that fight? Having fights like that so early on in his career did him the absolute world of good... it was a real top learning fight and gut check for a young kid, McDermott.. although he didn't look the part was a tough man who could dish it out. AJ is 25 years old with the amateur pedigree behind him, this fight is all about him making that next step against a former amateur foe where there's a bit of needle. What's AJ going to be like when someone gets under his skin, when he gets hit on the chin, when somebody stands up to his power etc. Whyte is a better and more talented fighter than McDermott, but Tyson Fury was a young lad who left the amateur game and had to learn + work on different aspects of his game in the pro set-up.
must say i dont rate whyte that highly tecnically. but it is a big strong athletic fighter, and if he has a good chin ans heart. he can get some rounds off Aj
Doesn't matter what happened in the amateurs cos the pro game is a different cookie but if I had a house to put down on it id put it on an AJ KO and easy win. If Whyte lasts 4 then hats off to him. He can last 12 if he adopts the peeka boo tactic and is very very light on his feet but if he ever has an exchange with AJ the lights are out!
Yeah he's not the most up to scratch technically, but he's doing the right thing going off to work with Klitschko and the Fury camp.. that'll only do him good. What he does have though, is the bit between his teeth to prove something.. I've watched a few of his interviews and it was noticeable on ringside the other week, he has the fire in his belly to prove something. Like people keep saying and banging on about, AJ will for the first time be going in with someone who has a big will to win. He carries power, has ability, is driven, has the size, a little mental edge from the amateur days (yeah AJ is a different animal now that's obvious to see, but we've seen a few times that the media friendly "Stay Hungry", 'take your vitamins and drink your milk' AJ disappears when Whyte is brought up in conversation) and he also seems to have a good instinct when he gets his opponent hurt.
To be fair to Whyte a lot of good judges would be viewing him as a live wildcard in the big picture against the Joshua exposure and support. Whyte believes he can upset the applecart.I think he will get beaten by AJ but he certainly believes in himself has the win in the ams and comes with ambition a good display opens doors.
Reminds me a bit of Groves v Degale this... Both have the amateur history, there's some needle between them... and the one who lost the amateur fight is the one entering the fight with the hype and as the favourite.
I think a lot of Joshua's opponents so far have lost before they have gotten into the ring. Whyte should provide him with a different test to Wach who will just try to survive in September.
I think Wach is the perfect fight for AJ right now. He's a big man who would bang him on the chin during the fight (just like he did to Wladamir), he's got one hell of a chin himself so would 100% give him rounds (which he needs) and we'll see what AJ's stamina and ability is like in the later part of a fight.
wach is 6'7 260lbs with a granite beard. he will be paid alot not to hit joshua. and im wachs biggest critics, hes a a glorified punch bag snd a Ped cheat, with little skill and speed. but he did go 12 with wlad, demolished hammer and a few shot fighters with brutal knockouts. he wont be in the ring to survive though mate. unless hearn is giving him a big pay day.
I think AJ will knock him out inside 2 rounds. I have seen a bit of Whyte and he is really really agricultural. All AJ needs to do is use the jab and then bring his other artillery into play and Whyte will not even land a glove on him. It is a good step up, but to get AJ rounds its the wrong kind of fight and AJ is too good for Whyte by a long way.
Agreed if he is fighting Wach then that is the fight he needs. He needs rounds badly and Wach will provide the rounds. Just getting used to not knocking your opponent clean out inside 4 rounds is going to be a learning curve for him. He will need to conserve himself and we will see if he can last the distance, he is likely to gas badly from round 7 or 8 unless he trains properly and does not shoot his load going for an early KO.
It's not only that he needs rounds to see how he can pace himself over he distance in a real fight, how his stamina holds up etc... but also him showing patience and being able to break an opponent down gradually.