Anthony Joshua vs Vladimir Klitchko. Official pick em and why.

Oh, fixed fights have happened before. Thousands of times, even in huge events such Ali/Liston. Charles Farrell is an ex boxing manager and match fixer. He's a very astute man and he's defo worth a listen if you want to learn of many examples and the many fixed fights he was involved in, or aware of.

As for Wlad, I don't think it would come down to money with him - he has plenty. Let's just say, Wlad has very dodgy connections. If I go into it any further I'll be called a "crazy conspiracy theorist" - ah how many times I've heard that before then people have had to eat humble pie.

There may be reasons why 'they' want Wlad to lie down. Alternatively, they could provide him all the help he needs to win but Wlad isn't a big player all things considered. But just watching the build up take place, and hearing a few things being said, it almost seems as if AJ is set up to win.

 

Haven't voted in the poll as i can't seem to make my mind up, changes on a daily basis. AJ being the younger man and Wlad's last few fights suggest AJ to win. Or does Wlad's experience play a part with AJ facing a big step up in class. Wlad's inactivity may have in some ways done him good and maybe at time of the Fury fight he was facing personal distractions with his wife's problems.

 

I think Wlad will stop him in rounds 9-12.
I don't think Joshua will have a clue when Klitstchko starts regularly holding and leaning his 17-18 stone all over him. He's never had anything remotely like this in his life. No doubt Joshua's team will have a plan to deal with this as Wlad has always done this but dealing with it against a supremely calculated and experienced man is a different kettle of fish.

Stamina wise Joshua has big questions of his ability to go 12 with a top fighter especially one who has done it so many times and I think this could be his downfall. In my opinion Wlad will make it ugly as usual for the first 4-5 when Joshua will be his most dangerous. Someone mentioned Klitschko's reluctance to throw the right hand in recent fights and I would be surprised if Klitschko throws more than one in the first 3. I think he'll gradually up his work rate over the next few and when AJ's tired he'll come for him and ko him.

As I said, early in the fight is danger time for Wlad and if a big AJ right hand lands Klit could be in big trouble. But let's not forget something many seem to have forgotten, AJ's chin looks bad. Whyte who has proven to be an average puncher, had him one shot away from a ko loss. Rumours of Joyce dropping him now (could be bull shi.t and would be interesting to know how heavy the kd was) as well as stoppages in the amateurs doesn't look good for him standing up to Wlad's biggest shots.

All this is relying on Wlad not being completely finished.

I wasn't fussed on this fight when it was made but now I can't wait. Roll on next Saturday.

 

AJ's camp's plan to deal with Klitschko's holding will probably be the uppercut. AJ has pretty fast hands and can fire off an uppercut as WK grabs him. That will be the plan. But it wont necessarily work. It wont necessarily land.

If this fight is on the level and WK is even 80% of what he once was, he'll beat AJ quite easily. AJ is a novice and fights like one.
But I suspect WK might prove to be shot to way below that level.

I'd still lean towards a Wlad win, hoping he's not completely shot. KO with a left hook.

 

A 41 year old
On an 18 month lay off
Who has suffered from punchitis and inability to pull the trigger in his last 2 fights vs...

One of the hottest prospects in HW boxing. Punches like a mule and has great fitness and power.

Only one result for me. An early to mid rounds KO win for AJ.

The thing is AJ cannot fight clever or nuanced, he only has one plan, aggression and punch output on the front foot. That is why I am sure about this result.

AJ WKO5 WK

 

I'm going to go with youth on this one, got a feeling that AJ might actually be a lot better than many of us think and dominate the early rounds before landing a KO right hand in the 5th-7th. I fear if this does happen many would rather talk about how shot he is rather than give credit to AJ, although it would be a combination of both.

I do think Wlad is a bit overrated if I'm honest, he dominated the heavyweight division for over 10 years, but when I look at his resume I don't see anyone on it who I think should beat AJ or Fury.

 

AJ might be the real deal but I'm surprised so many people are so sure that he is.

He's never once had to show any real boxing ability at all. Most of his pro fights were meaningless mismatches. He's an almost completely unproven prospect. His talent is apparent. But it takes more than talent to win legitimate fights near the top level.

 

You don't think he has enough £$£$£$£ already without shi**ing on his reputation? I find this a fatuous possibility. How many are so sure Joshua is the "real deal"? He is a work in progress.

 

Wladimir is as interested in money as the next man.
It's very possible that money is his key motivation here. It doesn't matter how many millions he has, he'll get significantly more millions for this fight.

Anyone who says this will be "a mismatch" in AJ's favour clearly thinks AJ is the real deal. And plenty are saying that.

 

Thousands is overstating the case.Farrell has led an interesting life, no doubt about it.

 

Definitely not an overstatement.

Even fights you wouldn't consider a "fix" are by definition a fix. Mayweather/Canelo is a perfect example. No one who has a pair of eyes could have gave that a draw. That is not incompetence. That is a bought judge. This gives the narrative going forward that a green canelo lost a Majority Decision to the best boxer of his generation.

Those type of fixes happen very often.

 

I dont think AJ is the real deal AT ALL. I think he is very beatable at the elite level and those flaws are not going to get ironed out.

I am picking him to beat the shell of a former great fight, who has fought on for too long, and doesnt realise himself the extent of his own deterioration.

This is youth vs the shell of a former great.

 

When I say "real deal" I mean a legitimate world class fighter, nothing more than that.
If AJ blasts out Wlad, even a shot Wlad, I think he deserves to be acknowledged as a legit world class fighter.
Because, as of now, AJ has only proven himself to be a good prospect. He's never won against anyone consensus-ranked as a legit top 10 fighter.
Maybe I'm being too generous to say a win over Wlad would mean anything much, but I do believe Wlad, despite his age etc., is still a step up from Dillian Whyte and Dominic Brazeale.
A win over Wlad should be enough to put AJ in everyone's top 5 in today's weak division. A devastating win would say a bit more. Top 5 consensus-ranked is legit.

 

Wlad is going to iron this roided up clunky bum out.

 

We don't yet know if the Wlad we saw struggle against Fury's movement and speed was an aberration caused by a clash of styles ,or the proof that the wheels have finally begun to fall off the Klit wagon. On Wlad's last couple of outings I think the latter is more than likely the case.A year and a half out of the ring will not have helped him at his age , but he appears to be training with new intensity and is on a mission.He has never abused his body and never looks out of shape, unlike porky pig Tyson Fury who, after squandering his future indulging in the naughties, has become a sad joke.
Joshua is a work in progress and unproven, we don't know how good his chin is?How his stamina will hold up in a long war? How he will cope with a skilled boxer?
He has ticked all the boxes so far,though he has been very tentatively matched, but those three are unanswered questions.
I don't see him becoming an ATG but if I'm wrong and I often am ,no one will be more pleased than me.
The fights I would like to see Joshua in, should he beat Wlad are:
Pulev, which I think will,be a convincing ko win for him.
Ortiz which could become a baptism of fire but ,the longer it goes the more I fancy his chances.
Parker ,[if he beats Fury as I expect him too].I like the New Zealander a lot,and his opposition has been respectable in a learning curve.50/50 fight for me but Joshua has a bit beter defence imo.
Wilder, which should be a short bout of real explosiveness.Wilder ,is like AJ really untested,but he does have that get out of jail power.
Should A J beat all these ,then imo ,his standing can justifiably be upgraded and he can be talked about in the same breath as greats from the past.