LENNOX LEWIS knows exactly whatโs needed to become a great heavyweight. He also knows just what itโs like to fight a Klitschko. He believes Anthony Joshua will face a similar experience to what he went through against Wladimir Klitschkoโs older brother Vitali.
Lewis said, โBecause I didnโt have no training for his size and weight, when I hurt him he lumped on me. He was heavy. I had to push him off and throw punches again. So that’s the part I didnโt train for. If weโd had another fight I would have trained for that. Pushing 250lbs and then punching again, so I would have been training doing that same thing.โ
Wladimir is likely to try the same tactics, leaning on Anthonyโs head and shoulders to tire him out when he can. That will be a new experience for Joshua. โHe hasnโt done it in any of his fights and you canโt expect him to go into the most important fight of his life to do it. Thatโs where the experience comes in. If Wladimir uses his experience there are a lot of things he can do to slow the younger man down,โ Lennox said. โThis has to be the toughest fight heโs taken on so far. Itโs a big jump for him. Is he ready for it? I believe heโs ready it. Really heโs done remarkably well since the Olympics, dealing with each fight, basically blasting them out.
โThe question still remains how much Wladimir has left? How much of the true Wladimir is left? Or have we not seen the best? This fight may bring out the best in Wladimir.โ
Klitschko would however have to shake off the weight of his advancing age at 41 years old. โI donโt think he wants to believe that [heโs old]. I donโt think heโll fall into that. I think he would want to go out with a win. Although they seem like theyโre friends and everything itโs all the psychology surrounding the fight that they seem like theyโre friends. When theyโre in there theyโre going to be punching trying to knock each other out,โ Lewis said.
โI look at Wladimirโs losses, when he lost, he lost twice because of the first round he lost. And then I noticed throughout his career he remembered those losses and didnโt allow that to happen again. But now heโs up against a stronger man than him, does [Joshua] have more stamina than him? Weโre going to have to see. I believe so. If heโs been working the way heโs been working, heโs going to have more stamina, more strength and I think theyโre pretty equal on the speed.โ
Lewis analysed what Klitschko needs to do against Joshua, saying, โItโs really taking everything heโs got. It really comes down to defence. Establishing the jab, when Anthonyโs coming at him, whether heโs throwing the right hand or the jab, itโs blocked, you never allow him to hit until it goes into the late rounds.โ
He doesnโt believe the baying crowd at Wembley stadium will bother the seasoned Klitschko. โI donโt think it will affect him. He does what he wants anyway. He boxes how he wants. Heโs not the kind of guy, when they go, โCome on!โ to really step it up. He still plays by his playbook,โ he said.
The Ukrainian should be motivated. โHeโs been fighting because he wants to be undisputed. But now the undisputed has gone even further away from him. Heโs up to 70 fights,โ Lewis said. โItโs going to be difficult. Maybe he canโt get undisputed now but at least he can go out with a win.โ
And Lennoxโs prediction: โIโd say Anthony Joshua early, Wladimir late. Because of the fact heโs been through 22 [world title fights] already. He knows how to go the distance.โ