Anthony Joshua’s route to world level unveiled

Gary Cornish

ANTHONY JOSHUAโ€™S path to world level has been unveiled. First he faces Dillian Whyte for the British heavyweight title on December 12. Heโ€™ll then target European champion Erkan Teper in March next 2016.

โ€œBritish, European, that would be really good and then you go on to world,โ€ Joshua said, after winning the Commonwealth title on Saturday (September 12).

The heavy-handed German did knock out David Price earlier this year but Anthony considers Teper โ€œno different. Just another opponentโ€.

โ€œHeโ€™s that European style. Youโ€™ve got boxing or youโ€™ve got the ones that tuck up, walk forward and try and hit you with shots. Itโ€™s adapting. With someone like that you donโ€™t want to box with your chin in the air moving back because they swing over the top. Defend and counter. Do it enough times, sooner or later they stop coming forward, you put him back. Thatโ€™s what Iโ€™m saying, by the time Erkan Teper comes, I think Iโ€™ll be in a good place, boxing, in my mind, how to deal with someone like that so Iโ€™m sure it wonโ€™t be too difficult to defeat him,โ€ Joshua continued.

Winning the European crown would put him on course for a world title shot next year. โ€œYouโ€™ve accomplished what youโ€™ve set out to do then. But whatever happens, whatever my team say, my job is be fit, be healthy, live the life, good promotion, make sure Iโ€™m ready, getting on great cards. Coaches and that make sure I get the right fights to build me to a world title shot. Everyoneโ€™s working together,โ€ Joshua said.

โ€œIโ€™m trying, trying hard. What will be will be.”

That path is unlikely to see him tackle David Haye, who has for a while now been considering coming out of retirement. โ€œWeโ€™re not looking at David Haye, weโ€™re looking at progressing to a world title shot,โ€ said Joshuaโ€™s promoter Eddie Hearn. โ€œThatโ€™s a fight that has some novelty value at the moment, I think itโ€™s one of the toughest fights for Anthony. David Haye is a great fighter. But weโ€™re looking at world titles and getting through David Haye doesnโ€™t really apply to that strategy.โ€

The clash with Dillian Whyte will generate interest. The Brixton man picked up a victory over his rival at a very early stage of their amateur careers and he would love to derail Joshuaโ€™s passage to world glory.

โ€œHeโ€™s got his eye on the prize, thatโ€™s a dangerous fighter, someone who wants to beat me is a very dangerous fighter. Iโ€™m not looking above that. But I definitely would like to go on and achieve more than beating Dillian Whyte. So Iโ€™ve got to really focus on that, get him out the way and continue down the yellow brick road,โ€ Anthony said. โ€œLet me win a world title. My ambitionโ€™s a bit higher than Dillian Whyte. But Iโ€™ve got to focus on that fight. Trust me, Iโ€™m going to deal with that boy so then I can move on.โ€

Whyte already gleefully labeled Joshua a โ€œfakeโ€ and a โ€œgood-behaving punkโ€, among other things, at a pre-fight press conference. The Olympic gold medallist insists he is not riled. โ€œNo, because I get to fight him in December,โ€ Joshua said. โ€œBut bring it on, youโ€™ll probably hear a bit more from me. The reason I donโ€™t say much, I couldnโ€™t overlook my fight with Cornish could I? My fight with Cornish was the most important thing and if you asked about Gary, I could answer it. Now if you ask about Dillian, because Iโ€™m fighting Dillian youโ€™ll probably hear a lot more from me.โ€

Joshua dealt with the Highlander in style on Saturday. It was quick, Cornish only just made it into the second half of the first round but it wasnโ€™t the fastest victory ever for an English heavyweight over a Scotsman โ€“ in 1949 Eddie Vann halted Glasgow’s George Stern in only 12 seconds.

Joshua may not be getting much time in the ring, but beyond the crowds he is putting the hours into training. โ€œWith me the more time I have in the gym, the more time I have in boxing, the more relaxed and better I get. I think moving forward, the less I get hit the better, and the more Iโ€™m hitting my opponent [the better]. Then I can move forward into tougher fights. Because if I get smashed up by these guys now, I donโ€™t think weโ€™ll be talking about the next step,โ€ he said. โ€œI have to do this to these guys to step up to world level.โ€

With the next fights being lined up, itโ€™s a step heโ€™s ready to take. โ€œYou get a date,โ€ Joshua said. โ€œThen you get to prove yourself.โ€

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