Joshua: Anthony Joshua's potential problems against Charles Martin debated by The Panel
Friday 8 April 2016 23:26, UK
Is it too soon for Anthony Joshua to vie for the world title? How will he deal with Charles Martin's southpaw stance? The Panel debate their concerns about Joshua's chances.
Carl Froch
My biggest fear is that he gets drawn into a brawl because that's in him. It's innate in him, it's in his nature, it's in his personality.
It's in all boxers but look at Floyd Mayweather, he doesn't get involved. Marco Antonio Barrera, back in the day, didn't get involved with Naseem Hamed - he just did what he wanted to do. Roy Jones Jr wouldn't get hit. So it is in all boxers, but you can control it.
If he rushes in with the crowd cheering for him and stands inside having a sling-up, all of a sudden a fight that should be 70-30 in his favour becomes 50-50.
I don't want him steaming into rounds two and three, burning up the energy and oxygen in those big muscles. If he gets clipped, like he did against Dillian Whyte, then taken into the later rounds, that's the fear.
Jamie Moore
The obvious one is: has it come too soon? Everyone has got him as a favourite but experience can play a big part in it. He hasn't been through some of the things you'd like him to have been through. Has he come through a real patch in a fight? He got rocked by Dillian Whyte, regrouped and settled himself back to the job but he hasn't been pushed like you'd want before the big step up. Having said that, I don't think it's the biggest step up. Martin was a little bit fortunate to win the title the way he did.
Looking at the pros and cons and looking at Martin's experience, he's not much more experienced. Joshua has done a far better job on his opponents than Martin has done at roughly the same level.
Glenn McCrory
I think inexperience is the primary concern for Anthony Joshua. I would have liked to have seen him fight a fringe contender, which he hasn't done yet. His highest level was fighting against Dillian Whyte last time out and that was a British-level fight. What he's done, he's done great but I'd have rather seen him have a stepping stone to this. Obviously the fact Charles Martin isn't that experienced himself might counteract that.
The southpaw thing is a slight concern too. Joshua was beaten by a southpaw in the amateurs and the results say he hasn't been as successful against southpaws but I think they've worked with plenty of them and Joshua having such a good right hand will certainly help.
Paul Smith
I rate Joshua as a top talent but it could all change with one shot, so I worry about that every time he's in the ring. Dillian Whyte showed us one or two vulnerabilities but Joshua is improving all the time, getting better every time. He doesn't stop working in the gym so I imagine he's corrected any problems but there's every chance this could be just as explosive.
Of course, it's heavyweight boxing you can never rule anything out and it could well have definitely come to soon for Joshua. None of us know how he will do against a southpaw but we do know Martin has a good left and is a new world champion, so will have a real point to prove. People are suggesting we don't know enough about him so he's come under the radar, but if anything, he is overrated.
Johnny Nelson
Is this too soon? I spoke to Nigel Benn who said 'if it's too soon Joshua loses, but he'll come back and get better'. That's spot on, Joshua has to be mentally strong to become a champion. Potentially, we know Joshua can be an unbeatable machine so if he loses, he needs mental strength.
Benn lost to Michael Watson and Chris Eubank and cried for a year but came back as a better fighter, having learned the hard way. Joshua is willing to learn and always wants to know more. A loss wouldn't be the end. So is it too soon? It could be too soon, but tell me one fighter who wouldn't take this chance? If he wins the title, he's in a pool of more experienced heavyweights and that's the worry.
Spencer Oliver
You could line 10 kids up and only one would stand out - Joshua was the kid that stood out. When he first put on a pair of gloves he looked like he'd been boxing for years.
You've seen the rate that he's moved on - he became British champion as an amateur after two-and-a-half years, he went on to be Olympic champion after four years. That's an incredible feat for anybody to do.
Eight years later he's boxing for the world heavyweight title, not just the pinnacle of boxing but the pinnacle of sport.
He's still very much on a learning curve, he knows that himself and he's willing to learn. We've seen him improving immensely over the past year or two.
Charles Martin vs Anthony Joshua, live on Sky Sports Box Office on April 9. Order the event online.
