AJ KO early. I think it will get real for Wlad when he tastes the power and he'll realise he doesn't want it any more. I think showreel KO early. Fast Eddie hoping for competitive fight and AJ win for rematch. Undercard us **** and they price hiked to £20.
Wlad UD but I won't be surprised by any result other than an early KO either way I do have a feeling after watching Wlad v Jennings he might be past his best...He still moved well but there was no conviction in his work at one point he threw 5 jabs but didn't follow it up. He barely threw his right hand. Even with massive height and reach advantages, he didn't dominate like he perhaps could. Jennings did go for a walk once or twice but from a dominant champion I thought Wlad didnt look great. Aj has a million question over him but he matches up well physically with Wlad. its going to be interesting for sure
Tough fight to call, both unknown quantities at this stage of their respective careers. AJ despite his potential hasn't fought on anywhere near this level before and Wlad has been in decline for years and has been inactive. But I'm slightly favouring Joshua. I think Wlad's tendency to be cautious will work against him here. He'll allow Joshua to come forward and fight his kind of fight. Usually Wlad has the clear height and speed advantage and he can still get off first against aggressive guys and then use their aggression to cut distance to clinch. But I think he'll struggle to be first this time as he's slowed, can no longer pull the trigger and his jab which is such a key part of his game is a shadow of what it used to be. Joshua will start of cautious like Wlad but after a few rounds he'll start setting the pace and Wlad will struggle to deal with it and be forced to clinch a lot but lack the jab and speed to land before he clinches like he usually does. Joshua will break him down and stop him in the middle rounds I think.
I honestly think Wlad is done, he was past it in the Jennings fight and barely turned up to the Fury fight. I'm a neutral in this fight but if I was a Wlad fan I'd be nervous every time AJ threw a punch.
You have to think the longer the fight goes it favors Klitschko. Joshua needs to get Wlad out of there before 5.
I think Joshua wins this. Klitschko has not looked good for a few years. Against Jennings and Fury he seems to fallen victim to the malady that plagues the older fighter: The inability to pull the trigger. He's been fighting cautiously for a while now and against Fury he was down right timid. To compound matters the debacle with the Fury rematch cost him precious time and kept him out of action for too long. Fury did Joshua a big favor by wasting Klitschko's time and showing how far his skills have eroded.
