By Jake Tiernan: Anthony Joshua says he could take a fight in the summer in July or August before his bout in December in Saudi Arabia. AJ states that whether he fights in the summer will come down to his trainer Derrick James on how well he’s looking in his training with him in Texas.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn had wanted him to take a summer fight against Dillian Whyte, and he’s still hoping that happens. That would be more of a business level than one that Joshua can learn from and progress.
If Joshua wants to face someone where he would be tested to implement the things that his new coach Derrick James has taught him, he’d need to fight the likes of Zhilei Zhang, Filip Hrgovic, or Martin Bakole.
For Joshua to beat those types of fighters, he would need to be able to adapt from one game plan to another because it would be risky for him to use one style.
It’s useless for Joshua to fight the 35-year-old journeyman Whyte because his punch resistance is gone, and he’ll likely be knocked out by the first hard shot AJ throws.
Interestingly, AJ says he’s no longer going to use the aggressive come forward, seek & destroy style of fighting that he had through much of his career. Instead, he plans to be a boxer-puncher who fights smart from now on.
Joshua (25-3, 22 KOs) didn’t looks impressive in his first fight under Derrick’s guidance on April 1st against lower-level heavyweight Jermaine Franklin in London.
Although Joshua won the fight, he fought timidly, looking afraid at all times, not throwing combinations, and showing none of the aggressiveness he had earlier in his career when he was knocking everyone out.
“It would be good to develop and work under the guidance of my new coach, and by the time I’m back in the ring, I’ve cemented and implemented everything he wants,” said Anthony Joshua to Sky Sports News.
“I just wanted to draw a line in the sand and say I’m not fighting until this date.
“If I, my coach decide to change my mind, I feel I’m able to change my mind, right? So I’m able to fight in July or August if I want, but right now, it’s off the table, but we are subject to change providing my coach is happy with what he sees.”
