Well the big one is just around the corner. Anthony Joshua looking to make a fourth defence of his IBF belt and first of his WBA title, is long odds on to make short work of the late replacement Carlos Takam. He shouldn't really have all that much trouble with the Cameroon born, French resident. Despite Eddie Hearn saying that this will be a better fight than the Pulev affair, bookies are not having a bar of it. AJ is about 1-25 and Takam around 16-1. One of the head turning clips I saw, had Hearn saying that Joshua just might come into the fight a stone lighter than his usual weight. If this true, what's going on? Was this part of the strategy for Pulev? And why? After the Klitschko fight, there was quite a bit said about AJ's apparent lack of foot speed. Nobody is saying that the man can be turned to an on your toes fighter, he'll always be a heavy handed, semi lead footed fighter. But to strip a stone from him is a bold move. Obviously, they know what they're doing. I'm hoping like crazy that he does drop down to somewhere around 235-40 or so. It'll add that little extra mystery to the fight. Takam has only been stopped once in his career, but he's never seen an Anthony Joshua before. AJ by KO for mine. The Dillian Whyte v Robert Helenius fight could also turn out to be a strange old affair. Hearn has been pushing the Dillian barrow for quite a while now. He wants a second world heavyweight champion on his books, so has been chasing Deontay Wilder like crazy. But Wilder wants none of it, and why should he? Hearn wants the American to fight Whyte to earn a shot at Joshua. The gall of the man. Like him or not, he's a world champion in his own right, and if Hearn is serious about a massive fight then let Joshua take his WBA mandatory then set up the mega fight. **** Whyte. Don't get me wrong, I like Dillian's trash talking and the way he fights, but why throw a poodle in between two pit bulls? Whyte had his hands full when he met Chisora, so I can't see him being in Wilder's league. And I think Joshua has moved up another level or two since he met Whyte, but the latter looks as though he may have just inched ahead. On that fight with Helenius, Whyte has a lot to lose. He should easily win the fight, but if he can't get an average fighter like Helenius out of there in stunning fashion, he's going to lose some serious cred. I've been looking at some of Helenius' latest bouts, and he looks awful. Between them, his last three opponents have won 106 bouts but have lost or drawn a combined 45. Hardly great records. Helenius has only been stopped once, so if Whyte makes a dog's dinner of it and can't bomb him out, then he's not the fighter some folk think him to be.
Joshua - Takam. Is the bloke on the right filling in for Takam while he's out chasing down a bit of health insurance? In they days when you weren't allowed to put the boot in when a man hit the deck, this wouldn't be called a fair fight. Someone would be yelling. " Why don't ya' pick on somebody ya' own size, ya' prick." please log in to view this image
Hearn and Sky are conning the public and they are falling for it. How this fight is on PPV and in a big stadium is behond me. Trying to make out the Heavyweight Division is thriving. Its not! Its a terrible division at the moment with the best 2 looking like Joshua and Wilder with the rest both at home and abroad looking like the standard of British type level at best. I dont think Joshua or Wilder would have gone more that a few rounds with Lewis, Holyfield, Tyson, Bowe let alone the greats of the 70s. Joshua and Wilder should face off next. Why does Wilder needs to fight Whyte ? Money thats why. Joshua meanwhile pummels another punchbag. For the money Sky gets we should be getting the biggest domestic fight as well Selby v Frampton. That would be a classic and worthy of PPV.
Well it showed AJ isn't invincible like Eddie and some of his fans believe. Sadly the one I'd be certain of beating him is now about 10 stone overweight and doesn't look like he cares about the game anymore! That stoppage was a disgrace by the way. The ref must have went out with the words 'we must keep AJs 100% KO record' ringing in his ears My god the heart Takam showed was terrific, he comes out the real winner on the night. Not AJs best night but he keeps on winning so hard to knock too much. Possible he tires late on, lot of muscle to carry for a full fight distance? Dillian White looked bang average in his fight. Maybe he didn't perform knowing he'd have to put on a show to seal a fight against Wilder. A very one dimensional performance against someone with a chin just hanging out to be tagged. Very underwhelming.
I didn't see it but apparently a head clash in the first round gave Joshua a broken nose. Could have affected the way he went about things from thereon I suppose
Just read that the doctor has confirmed Joshua's nose was not broken but badly bruised which, apparently, interfered with Joshua's breathing
Takam put up an ok performance but was never any danger to AJ so if you can give someone credit for being punched in the face and not falling over then yeah credit deserved. The stoppage looked premature but what was the point in letting it continue? Joshua was hitting him at will and Takam wasn’t doing anything other than backing away and not falling over so even though he didn’t look particularly hurt what would have been the point in the referee allowing it to continue for Takam to sustain more damage when he had no chance of winning. It was however alarming how easy Joshua could be hit and he won’t get away with that if he goes in with Wilder. Dillian Whyte is an average fighter I don’t understand why he’s been pushed so much and I’ll repeat what I’ve said before, his best option is a rematch with Chisora, make them both some money and put on another good show. Congratulations to Katie Taylor on becoming world champion. Women’s boxing or women fighting full stop does nothing for me but credit where it’s due.
I'm rapidly becoming a Big Baby Miller fan. 295 pounds of non stop, in your face action. He's been saying for a while now that he's the fittest heavyweight in the game, a claim I originally though to to be a load of old ****, but now I ain't so sure. At that weight, I expected him to run out of steam as fights wore on, but he seems to be like some sort of energizer bunny. He stays fresher that anyone I've seen of late, including Joshua and Whyte. I'm still not too sure about Wilder's fitness yet, but so far so good. Personally, I think Big Baby would do a right number on Whyte and Parker and would be a serious prospect against Joshua. Wilder is the mystery man in the equation. He's wild and woolly, but wears people down, then finishes them with brutality. If I was forced to have a buck on either Joshua or Wilder, in a neutral country, I'd probably put it on the American. It looks as though the Big Baby train is about to leave the station folks, and anyone brave enough to climb aboard, is in for a wild ride.
Me too, I’d side with Wilder at the moment. Am looking forward to his fight on Saturday in the Stiverne rematch. The first time they fought it was Wilders first real test, first world title fight and first (and only) time he was taken 12 rounds. It was his most accomplished performance to date where he showed he had the stamina to go the distance and that he could box and adapt. It’s safe to assume that Wilder has improved since that fight so I’d expect to see him win the rematch by ko/tko. I’m very skeptical as to whether we’ll ever see Wilder/Joshua meet especially without someone having to vacate a belt
From what I've seen of him Cyc, he wouldn't last very long against Joshua. He's just another Chisora/Whyte in my eyes
So Tyson Fury is back making noises about returning to the ring and its all becoming increasingly hard to listen to now, as it is of course two years he’s been out of the ring. He’s looking a wasted talent assuming he doesn’t return and it’s as if he’s simply trying to get attention now that Anthony Joshua is filling the void he left behind. In saying that I’d love nothing more than him to come back and beat AJ! In the event it did, I don’t think he’d have any bother whatsoever as AJs last couple of fights have clearly shown chinks in the armour the (mainly) cannon fodder he was smashing up previously were unable to. Looking objectively at it, AJ had plenty of bother in beating a Klitschko who was fighting his last fight and the rest of his ‘form’ so to speak is hardly bullet proof. His movement is non existent, he’s so easy to hit, and against a peak form Fury he’d be in for a long, frustrating night (ask Klitschko ) against a smarter boxer who would simply play with him for the twelve rounds and win on points. What AJ has is power, which is obviously a fair old compensator in this division but he’s nowhere near the overall package Fury is, and with Fury’s ring craft the power would be taken away by being elusive and using his long jab and moving, which Fury does the best of any heavy. Please note I am fully aware this is never going to happen mind you but I’ve let you all know what WOULD have happened...
Yeah it’s likely all bullshit, sadly, Ron, but imagine the build up should it happen! Wilder-AJ looks the biggest fight now in world boxing, I’d fancy Wilder would KO him but it’d very much be a fight could go either way. Wilders got a fantastic defensive jab which would frustrate AJ and Wilders every bit as heavy handed as the British man (though he has a tendency to ‘slap’ his punches at times when he’s going for the knock out). Be a proper dust up that one, both can finish things quick if they get it right. And the AJ-Fury fight isn’t even necessary now as I’ve announced to the Not606 world how it’d go
Yes, Wilder is a bit of a slapper, but he doesn't let anyone off the hook. Not sure if he can take a punch. Could go either way. AJ still reminds me a bit of Bruno; big physique, big punch, vulnerable to a sucker punch and fairly pedestrian. Will probably end up the same way (and almost did against Klitschko)
