By Scott Gilfoid: IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has analyzed this Saturday’s contest between IBF heavyweight champion Charles Martin (23-0-1, 21 KOs) and Britain’s Anthony Joshua (15-0, 15 KOs) and come to the conclusion that all Joshua has is a puncher’s chance to beat the talented 6’5” Martin in their fight on April 9 at the O2 Arena in London, UK.
Fury sees Joshua as a fighter that lacks the boxing skills to get the job done. Indeed, Fury sees Joshua as little more than a slow puncher with almost no experience at the pro level. The only true fight that Joshua has had since he turned pro three years ago was his fight against an injured Dillian Whyte, who came into their fight with a bad left shoulder that he re-injured in the 2nd round after almost knocking Joshua out.
“I just think Joshua is useless,” said Fury via the mirror.co.uk. “He’s got no footwork, he can’t box and he’s got no jab so that means he’s useless. All he’s got is a big punch, which everyone who pumps iron for five years and is 6ft 6ins can punch like. Unless Martin walks straight into a load of shots, which I don’t see him doing, then I see Martin taking him out cold and it will be goodnight Vienna.”
Oh my, Fury is really letting Joshua have it with both barrels, isn’t he? He’s kind of summed Joshua up completely.
I happen to agree with pretty much everything that Fury is saying about Joshua, especially with the “useless” part. Joshua has been worked hard on the weights since he turned pro three years ago, and has turned his once limber 220lb physique into a slow, over-muscled 250lb frame that makes him look more like a body builder than an actual fighter.
I can’t see how Joshua comes out ahead with all that muscle he’s packed on his frame in a short period of time. I lifted weights for years, and I couldn’t gain nary a five pounds of muscles. It looks like Joshua has packed on 30 pounds in just three years. That’s incredible, but also so pointless. Unless the sport of boxing is going to be turning into body building competitions soon, then I don’t see how Joshua is helping himself by lifting all these weights and putting on muscles that can never help him in the ring. I used to do a bit of bowling in the past year, and I thought lifting weights would help me throw the ball better.
After months of lifting, I could barely move the ball backwards because I was losing flexibility in my arms. I had to quit before I ruined my game completely. I can only imagine how Joshua’s weight lifting his negatively impacted his boxing. I can see the results just by looking at Joshua before he turned pro and compare that version of Joshua to the now 250lb one. I think Joshua has utterly regressed as a fighter rather than progressed. I think a b ig part of Joshua’s regression is all the muscles he’s put on.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wStKQQoMMP8
“He’s never been tested. He’s only had one real fight and he almost came undone there against Dillian Whyte,” said Fury. “Whyte had been inactive for three years, so if he can do that to him after being out of the ring for three years then what will Martin do?”
Yeah, I think it’s going to go badly for Joshua on Saturday. If Martin doesn’t KO him in the first six rounds, I see Joshua gassing out in the second half of the fight when Martin takes him to the deep end and then drowns him.
Martin is sky high right now and feeling very confident about his chances on Saturday. Martin isn’t worried at all about coming into the fight in London and being surrounded by hostile fans, wanting him to lose the fight. Martin expects to shut them up and then win them over after he beats Joshua.
I don’t know right off hand what exactly Joshua can do to win this fight on Saturday. He’s done nothing to whittle all that muscle off, which would have been the first thing that I would have had Joshua do if I was training him. I would have burned that muscle off of him by putting him on a lean diet, and then locking the doors to the weight room to keep him from lifting. But it’s too late now for all of that. In looking at recent video and pictures of Joshua, my guess is he’s around 250lbs. That’s a heck of a lot of weight to be carrying around the ring. It’s not useful muscle. It’s the beach type muscles, and it’s not going to help him beat Martin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6cuUcYDmTE
Fury takes issue with Joshua being given a world title shot after just 15 fights as a pro. You don’t see that kind of thing in the sport, especially given the horrible opposition that Joshua has faced since turning pro. He’s only had that one fight against Whyte last December that you can call a real fight, and even that was a tainted fight due to Whyte having a shoulder injury. I can’t even count that as a fight for Joshua due to Whyte being injured. Now if this was a healthy Dillian Whyte that Joshua whipped, then I would of course be impressed. Unfortunately, that’s not the Whyte that we saw against Joshua. We saw a one-armed Whyte out there against Joshua, and it’s a wonder the fight wasn’t stopped after just two rounds.
“He [Joshua] can’t fight nobody then have one fight and expect to fight for a world title,” said Fury. “Joshua has not earned his way to the top, he has been bought it. That is what happened.”
Yes, yes, I agree with Fury. Joshua is pretty much getting the title fight on a silver platter. It must be nice to get a world title shot straightaway after just 15 fights as a pro. You can make a strong argument that Joshua is the most undeserving world title challenger in a long, long time.
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