Anthony Joshua is in a unique position heading into his Wembley showdown with Alexander Povetkin. For the first time in the 28-year-old’s pro career, AJ failed to deliver a lights out moment against Joseph Parker in March.
Joshua’s perfect knockout record is officially blemished, and 80,000 fans packed inside Wembley will be expecting a return to form tonight.
But, after watching Joshua fight behind his jab and cautiously against Parker, the question some are asking is if the young champion is changing his style? Have we seen the explosive best of AJ?
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The Parker fight gave us a new-look AJ in the ring. Fearful of the then WBO champion’s power, Joshua never let himself off the leash, and rarely wound up big power shots.
It was not the performance boxing fans were expecting, but it hints at AJ’s intention to change how he fights with the likes of Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder in mind.
Fighting against Wladimir Klitschko in his first outing at Wembley in April 2017, Joshua’s activity came in bursts, and he slowed down towards the backend if the fight before a finishing flurry won him the contest. It is worth nothing, of course, that Joshua himself admitted to taking a few rounds off against Klitschko, to reserve his energy for a final push.
Against Parker, Joshua was more composed, controlled the pace and maintained his work-rate through 12 rounds.
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But against Parker, Joshua did not need one final push, and although the referee played far too prominent a role in dictating the fight’s pace, Joshua had a clear gameplan and stuck to it. We had not seen that before from Joshua, where he tailored his fight plan to nullify his opponent’s weapons.
It did not make for the most exciting fight, but it was certainly an interesting insight into how Joshua is still maturing. Against Klitschko, AJ went toe-to-toe and loaded up at will. It meant he was struck down for the first time in his career, but also made for a classic heavyweight battle.
It is not uncommon for fighters’ knockout rates to slow down, as they learn, grow and face better opposition. Muhammad Ali picked up just four points wins in his first 21 fights, but doubled that return in his next 21. Floyd Mayweather went the distance just six times in his first 25 fights, but 25 times in the next 27.
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British heavyweights like Lennox Lewis and David Haye maintained a remarkable knockout rate, but suffered defeats because of the way they fought.
Joshua is still learning, something he emphasises again and again. In his final sit-down with the media on Thursday, he ended the interview by revealing how he had learned how to read his opponent and what shots to be worried about coming his way, depending on where the other fighter stands. Eddie Hearn cheerfully added, ‘Imagine learning that after you’ve won three world titles?’
Rob McCracken has trained Joshua since his amateur days, and there is a distinct feeling Joshua is slowly changing his style. If he wants to beat the dancing Fury and the awkward Wilder, Joshua needs more than his power. He needs a tailored gameplan that he is capable of sticking to, just like he did against Parker.
One thing is for certain, Joshua is still to develop his distinctive style after just 21 pro fights. He wants to be more than a smash and grab heavyweight, he wants to produce a legacy that can mark him out as a great. Beating Wilder and Fury will certainly make him stand out, but the classic, big hitting AJ we’ve seen in the past is unlikely to be enough to beat his heavyweight rivals.
But, a Joshua who blends his own exciting aggression with the technical qualities of Klitschko could be. Joshua makes no secret of his admiration for Klitschko, who was often accused of being ‘boring’. The heavyweight great was a master in the art of deconstructing an opponent’s strengths, but it was not uncommon to hear his legendary trainer, Emanuel Steward, screaming at his fighter to go for the kill.
Joshua’s performance against Parker hints at a style not unlike Klitschko’s, but the Brit will certainly want to show more teeth. The first thing AJ said to Hearn after beating Parker was ‘They didn’t like that, did they?’ After unifying the division and winning a third world title, Joshua was concerned about how the crowd reacted to not seeing him go for the kill during fights.
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It speaks to the entertainer Joshua is, but also might suggest he does not want to lose sight of the qualities that has fired him to the top of the division at a remarkable pace.
Povetkin presents a new challenge for Joshua, in a familiar package. Shorter and stockier than him, Povetkin is not unlike Carlos Takam. Joshua struggled to impose himself on Takam in their encounter in Cardiff last October. Should Joshua do better against Povetkin, it will speak to how much, or how little, AJ has improved.
Many have predicted AJ will return to his explosive best against Povetkin, but Joshua knows he cannot underestimate the Russian’s power. Joshua has spoken at length about breaking Povetkin down and taking away his weapons, notably the left hook and overhand right.
The Parker fight proved Joshua is capable of tailoring his gameplan to frustrate his opponent, but also suggested a new AJ might be emerging. Will the old AJ return against Povetkin or will he continue down a new path against the Russian?
Will the new Joshua deliver 20 knockouts in his next 21 fights? For the record, Klitschko produced 53 knockouts in his 64 wins. With battles ahead against Wilder and Fury, the Povetkin fight should tell us which version of himself Joshua is backing.
All statistics provided by Boxstat.co.
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