Anthony Joshua: ‘If you dethrone Wladimir Klitschko, then you’re the real deal’

anthony joshua

AS vocal as Dillian Whyte has been in calling out Anthony Joshua, the Olympic gold medallist promises to keep his focus on tonightโ€™s opponent, Gary Cornish, even though the Highlander is a hefty underdog.

โ€œThe fight business is a tough business, I give him credit. Thatโ€™s all Iโ€™ve got to worry about right now. What will be will be,โ€ Joshua said. โ€œ[Cornish] throws good jabs, he moves well for a big guy. One thing Iโ€™ve learned is, I canโ€™t tell you everything about Cornish because itโ€™s so different when youโ€™re the man in there on the night.

โ€œHeโ€™s very fit, moves a lot and heโ€™s got a very good double jab and he throws a hook right hand.

โ€œThey know if they beat me, because Iโ€™ve built this little hype train, I get derailed and they jump on so I think it gives them that bit more ambition.โ€

The joiner from Scotland should be well motivated for this. His team vehemently complained about the lack of coverage Gary had received. โ€œNone of this stuff is given to you, itโ€™s all earned,โ€ Joshua responded. โ€œYou want to be famous, go and contact people. You want interviews, go and contact papers, get a PR team. Theyโ€™re not always knocking on your door.

โ€œPeople have got to go searching, hand in CVs, work for work and thatโ€™s exactly what I do. Itโ€™s not easy. I graft in and out of the gym, 24/7. Itโ€™s just building a little momentum. Itโ€™s not to say people get favoured, itโ€™s just to say I feel people should be more humble if they want that type of attention, go out and get it.โ€

There are great expectations on Joshua, and he has been delivering with exciting knockouts in all 13 of his pro fights so far. โ€œItโ€™s coming naturally,” he said. “I can break them down from first to third round, even if my sparring partners are doing four rounds a piece, four rounds each, every sparring partner that gets in by the third and four round starts showing signs of weakness and itโ€™s sparring so youโ€™re not hitting them with 10 ounce gloves, youโ€™re not trying to kill them. But you can start seeing the wear and tear. So when I get in there I try and gauge it the same way as Iโ€™ve been practising for the eight weeks, first round, second round, third round and if they stand up then it will go [on], but if they donโ€™t I can gauge that theyโ€™ll be getting beaten up by the third round, if I donโ€™t make any silly mistakes.โ€

In his most recent performance, Joshua shone in rapidly taking apart former world contender Kevin Johnson. โ€œThat was calculated,โ€ Anthony maintains, โ€œit wasnโ€™t aggressive. More calculated. I knew he had a very good jab, this flicking jab. So I came out boxing behind the jab and I could see he was lazy where he placed it so thatโ€™s when I countered it with the right and then from there I kind of just followed up and that was it. I didnโ€™t really come out, swinging hooks, throwing. I just came out, boxed and when I got him, I kind of built on that success after I landed a few combinations.โ€

If he can get through these domestic challenges by the end of this year, he will then be able to move on to higher level competition. โ€œ2016, thatโ€™s the year. Itโ€™s time to stop messing around,โ€ he said. โ€œIf itโ€™s the right fight, 2016 weโ€™ll definitely go for it.โ€

He thinks towards the end of next year he could potentially be fighting for a world title. โ€œBut Iโ€™ll definitely be going for like the Erkan Tepers [the European champion], Arreolas, Bryant Jennings, these type of fighters.โ€

Tyson Fury has already put Joshua on his shortlist of desired future fights. โ€œI just think he wants to sell out Wembley,โ€ Anthony laughed. โ€œThe title comes with being a good fighter. I see improvements, Iโ€™m getting smarter as I get older.

โ€œIโ€™m getting to the stage where Iโ€™m developing, the different jabs, the solid jabs, the flicking jabs, jab to the body, Iโ€™m developing for sure. I feel like Iโ€™m getting smarter in the ring. Itโ€™s coming together finally.โ€œ

He respects the reigning heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko even though the Ukrainian is the man he ultimately wants to dethrone. โ€œKlitschkoโ€™s elite. Heโ€™s gone through the hard times in his career and heโ€™s learned his trade. I think heโ€™s gone through the whole maturing stage, development as a fighter, as a person, like the Shannon Briggses of this world, he deals with them, just brushes it off with ease. Heโ€™s a boss. Klitschkoโ€™s a boss. Heโ€™s the kingpin of boxing.โ€

โ€œI donโ€™t want to be like Klitschko, though I do some of the stuff he does. I feel Iโ€™ll be a bit more fun,โ€ Joshua continued. โ€œI definitely like his style. You can definitely take little bits from Klitschko.

โ€œIf you dethrone someone like Klitschko, then youโ€™re regarded as the real deal.โ€

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