Joshua vs Klitschko: Dillian Whyte looks back on his stoppage defeat to Anthony Joshua
Thursday 27 April 2017 06:29, UK
Dillian Whyte shared a brutal battle with Anthony Joshua and has also sparred with Wladimir Klitschko, so we asked him to analyse this Saturday's world title fight.
Joshua puts his unbeaten record on the line against Klitschko at Wembley Stadium, live on Sky Sports Box Office, and former opponent Whyte knows all about the IBF champion following his knockout defeat in 2015.
How do you rate their hand speed?
They are both pretty quick. They are very athletic guys. Yes, Joshua has got a lot of speed.
Wladimir has got a lot of speed too with his right hand and his one-two. He's got a lot of speed because of his movement, he's able to change the angle and dimension of the fight quickly.
He's got quick hands and quick feet, whereas Joshua has got quick hands and slow feet.
Who has the best footwork?
Wladimir's footwork is very good. He's definitely the most mobile fighter, but obviously Joshua's thing is not movement. His thing is be static, head movement, and try to land hard counter punches.
What is Joshua's jab like?
His jab is okay, but it's not great. It's more of a range-finder, whereas Wlad has got a much stronger jab than him. That's Wladimir's thing - the jab and the right hand.
Does Joshua have a good defence?
His defence wasn't great in the fight, but that wasn't him, that was someone else. That was a street fight, not a boxing match.
His defence wasn't great in the fight, but that wasn't him, that was someone else. That was a street fight, not a boxing match.
Wladimir is very cagey, wily, a strange kind of fighter. He looks really strong, but doesn't fight like that. He doesn't really want to get hit at all. In the heavyweight division you have to hold a few. You cannot go swimming without getting wet.
Does Joshua have a good chin?
He can get chinned, he's not got the best chin. He doesn't cope well with taking shots at all - and Wladimir can whack.
I don't think Wlad takes a punch well either and Wlad knows it, so that's why he is defensively cautious. I don't think Wlad takes them well to the whiskers at all. In fights, he gets buzzed and holds on.
How do you rate Joshua's power?
Every heavyweight has power, every heavyweight can hit. People say, 'Oh, he's knocked you out, blah, blah, blah,' but listen, I got hit with 3,000 punches before I got stopped and I was exhausted.
They are both power punchers, they both can hit. Wladimir has been knocking guys out in sparring and in the ring. Joshua obviously is the same, he's been knocking out guys in sparring and the ring as well.
What are both men like outside of the ring?
I've been to war with Joshua for the past eight, nine years. Eight years we have been at war. I hung out with him before, but we've never been friends. He hates me. I don't hate him, I just think he's a fake and should be himself.
Wlad likes to control everything, but that's what it takes to be a champion. You need to control everything and that's what he likes doing.
Watch Anthony Joshua vs Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley Stadium on April 29, live on Sky Sports Box Office. Book the event online here or via your Sky remote.
