Anthony Joshua to dominate for a decade after beating Wladimir Klitschko - Duke McKenzie
Sunday 9 April 2017 10:43, UK
Anthony Joshua will brush aside Wladimir Klitschko with ease, according to former three-weight world champion Duke McKenzie.
Joshua's IBF heavyweight strap and the vacant WBA 'super' title are on the line when the two heavyweights collide in front of 90,000 fans at Wembley Stadium on April 29, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
And McKenzie believes Joshua will comfortably beat Klitschko ahead of a decade of dominance for the London 2012 Olympic gold medallist.
"Joshua is the real deal," McKenzie told Sky Sports.
"I expect him to beat Wladimir Klitschko quite tidily and quite handily inside the distance, but even if it's on points it makes no difference.
"Joshua is the future of the sport. Klitschko has had his day, he's past 40 years of age now and boxing is a young man's sport.
"Joshua is in the right place at the right time and is the face of not just British boxing, but world boxing, for the next decade to come.
"He knows, and believe you me Klitschko knows, who the real champion or who the real winner is going to be in this fight.
"Klitschko is coming to the end of his career and he's looking for the biggest payday he can get. That wouldn't be in America. That is right here in England against Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium."
Joshua and Klitschko are well acquainted with one another with the Brit visiting the 41-year-old's Austrian training base in 2014 to spar with the then-WBO, WBA, IBF and IBO champion.
That has set the tone for a particularly civilised build-up to the mouthwatering clash of the titans, a heavyweight showdown which McKenzie says "sells itself".
"What you'll find with Joshua is that he's a well-versed, well-schooled individual and he knows how this business works," McKenzie said.
"He's not into trash talking and carrying himself in a disrespectful manner towards his opponents.
"He is respectful at all times [partly] because heavyweight boxing is like no other sport. One punch can change everything and Joshua knows that so he's not about bad-mouthing and being stupid and saying crazy things.
"This fight will sell itself and he doesn't have to say anything detrimental about Klitschko. He has the utmost respect for him and rightly so."
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