By Tim Royner: Former featherweight champion Prince Naseem Hamed sees Tyson Fury having an easier time beating Anthony Joshua than he did in his last fight against Deontay Wilder. Hamed thinks that WBC heavyweight champion Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) is too slick for IBF/WBA/WBO champion Joshua (23-1, 21 KOs0 to deal with.
Hamed isn’t giving Joshua too much credit for having a lot more offensive tools in his toolbox than Wilder. Unlike Wilder, Joshua can punch with both hands, and he’s got a great jab and an excellent inside game.
Hamed impressed with Fury
The combination punching Joshua is being overlooked by Hamed, and Fury is going to need to pay attention to this. He can’t let Joshua unload on him with combinations if he wants to win.
Wilder only had a right hand that Fury had to worry about. It was easy for Fury to avoid Wilder’s right, and then nail him with clubbing shots to stop him in the 7th.
“What he’s done has been phenomenal,” said Hamed in talking about Fury on the Heavyweight Podcast. “I am looking forward to Tyson vs Joshua and I do believe that Tyson is too fast and too slick.
“I think that’s maybe an easier fight than the Wilder one and the Wilder one was very easy.”
It’s hard to believe that Hamed rates Joshua so low. AJ is a lot heavier than Wilder, and he’s not someone that Fury will be able to manhandle on the inside the way that he did with Deontay.
What we saw in Joshua’s recent win over Andy Ruiz Jr. showed that he’s a lot more complete of a fighter than Wilder. Joshua moved around the ring all night and boxed circles around Ruiz. Wilder wouldn’t have been able to do what Joshua did to Ruiz. He doesn’t possess the mobility or the jab.
If Joshua is able to land the same shots he was hitting Ruiz with on Fury, there’s a good chance he knocks him out cold.
Dubois will take over heavyweight boxing
“Of course I miss it,” said Naseem about him missing the sport. “Anybody who was as good as I would miss the sport. If you were as great as I was, doing things like I was, smashing people with heavyweight power, and had a gift from God… Of course, I miss it,” said Hamed.
It’s clear that Hamed retired far too soon in his career. After losing to Marco Antonio Barrera in 2001, Hamed fought only once more before retiring in 2002.
“I am looking forward to watching Daniel Dubois’ career unfold. For me, I believe he takes over heavyweight boxing.”