By Scott Gilfoid: After IBF heavyweight champion Charles Martin (23-0-1, 21 KOs) said that he spotted fear in the eyes of his opponent #2 WBC, #2 WBO Anthony Joshua (15-0, 15 KOs) during their recent face off at their first press conference, Joshua was quick to deny that he’s afraid of the 6’5” American talent.
Joshua says he has zero fear of the hard-hitting Martin. Of course, when you hear someone denying that they are afraid, it can be said that they really are. I am just saying. If Joshua is afraid of Martin, then that is okay.
It does not matter. It’s not like it’s the end of the world if Joshua is afraid of Martin. It just means that he has a healthy amount of respect for the talent of Martin, and he’s starting to realize what could happen if he lands his big shots.
We saw what Martin did to the previously unbeaten Vyacheslav Glazkov in his last fight in stopping in the 3rd round last January. Martin had Glazkov dive bombing on the canvas over and over again after nailing him with shots.
“He forgot the ‘no’ in front of it. There’s no fear with me, no fear. I’m here, there is no turning back,” Joshua said about Martin via skysports.com. “I can’t be worried. We had the opportunity to take the fight. I took it, so why would I be worried? I have to say he’s wrong when he sees fear in my eyes.”
Like I said, when you hear someone denying that they’re afraid, it often means that they’re terrified. Joshua should be afraid because he stands to lose a lot if he gets whipped by Martin.
It’s bad enough that Joshua was almost knocked out in the 2nd round by an injured Dillian Whyte in his last fight in December. Can you imagine what Whyte would have done to Joshua had he been healthy with two good shoulders instead of just his right? Heck, Whyte was fighting with just one arm in that fight from the 2nd round on. If a one-armed Whyte was able to have Joshua on the brink of being knocked out, then you can only imagine what a healthy Whyte would have done to him.
“I think he’s going to come game. April 9 will be explosive, myself underdog, him the champ, it’s a great match-up,” said Joshua. “Now we’re at world level, I’ve got to step my game up, get my head straight and do what I do best.”
Well, my piece of advice to Joshua is to try and refrain from bum rushing the southpaw Martin on April 9, because I think it’ll badly for him if he tries that trick. With the dreadful fodder that Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has been tossing in the ring for him to obliterate, he’s been able to fight in a mindless way by just lowering his head and charging his hopefully over-matched opposition. But now that Joshua is in with a real talent with size, power and skills, it would be a really bad mistake if he tries to overpower him without using any tactics.
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