By Barry Holbrook: Former two-time heavyweight world title challenger Eric Molina is picking champion Anthony Joshua to stop Tyson Fury in the mid-rounds in their mega-fight in June.
What separates Joshua from the fighters that Fury has had success against in the past is the quickness and his ability to throw sustained combinations of up to six punches.
Fury has enjoyed success against heavyweights that throw one punch at a time like Deontay Wilder, Wladimir Klitschko, and Otto Wallin. Those fighters would often miss with their single shots due to the head and upper body movement of Fury.
Once they missed with their punches, Fury would land his lighter counter shots and get the better of them. In Joshua’s case, he throws a lot of punches, and it’s less important that he misses his first.
If Joshua throws a six-punch combination, he’s got the probability of landing at least two solid shots. That could be bad news for Fury, who doesn’t possess the best chin in the heavyweight division.
Molina, 38, has shared the ring with IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Joshua (24-1, 22 KOs) and knows first-hand what it’s like to be on the receiving end of his punches.
In 2016, Joshua made quick work of Molina, knocking him out in three rounds in a fight that resembled a battlefield massacre.
Molina predicts Joshua stops Fury
“I can see Anthony Joshua knocking out Tyson Fury. I can see that happening,” said Eric Molina to iFL TV. “If you look at Tyson Fury, he does some things similar to me defensively against Wilder, which was to stay away from one or two big shots.
“I’ve always had my strength of when I sparred big punchers; I’ve always said bring me the bigger punchers because I could see one, two, or three shots.
“I could get a read. Wilder gives you a big read like [winding up]. He’s coming hard, but he’s giving me all that. So by the time I see that, I’m moving. I’m not just going to stand there.
“The ones that stand there like this [covering up] against Wilder, you’re going to get hurt. I already knew that I wasn’t just going to pick my gloves up to take a shot like that.
The same way Tyson Fury does not do that. What Joshua does, he doesn’t give you that boom. He’s very fluid with his punches. He comes with three, four, five, maybe even a six,” Molina said.
Molina brings up a good point about Joshua’s style of throwing sustained combinations being the kryptonite to give Fury all kinds of problems.
Fury did well against Deontay Wilder, who was only capable of throwing one punch at a time, and was at his mercy when he’d miss.
Against Joshua, Fury is going to have a lot more trouble trying to dodge a storm of big shots, each with knockout potential.
Joshua will wear Fury down
“He’s [Joshua] very elusive, very balanced, and he comes fast with those punches, and that is what gave me problems, and that is what would give anybody problems,” said Molina about Joshua.
“If he sits on those punches and is fluid, he’ll take away that movement that Tyson Fury does, really. He’ll give that movement a lot of problems with the four, five, and six combinations.
“So I say Joshua wins by knockout, and I predict by seven or eight rounds. I just think that Tyson Fury is a very clever heavyweight. There are things that he does in preparation.
“I think he’s been a step ahead of some of his opponents, and I think that’s been to his advantage when it comes to the game plan.
“And I don’t know, maybe doing some crap with his gloves. I don’t know. Whatever it is, he’s always thinking ahead, two steps ahead.
“I think that’s helped him get to where he’s very clear, and I think that’s what’s going to bring some problems to Joshua.
“But ultimately, I think Joshua is not going to fall for none of that stuff, and I think that he’s going to wear him down and get to him in the mid to late rounds,” Molina said.
If the same Joshua that we saw against Kubrat Pulev is there on the night against Fury, it won’t be a fight. Joshua is too fast, too powerful and he has too many weapons in his arsenal of punches to employ.
Fury may have missed his window against Joshua. If he’d fought him in 2019 when his confidence was at an all-time low after his loss to Andy Ruiz Jr, he’d have stood a better chance, but not now.
You’d have to favor Joshua by a quick knockout against Fury. This match could end within three rounds if Fury fights the way he did in his rematch with Wilder.