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| Photo: Tout-sur-la-boxing.net |
By Peter Silkov
Last
night at London’s Wembley Stadium (April 29) a post-WW2 record
crowd of 90,000 watched, and were enthralled, as Anthony Joshua
(19-0, 19koes) overcame Wladimir Klitschko (64-5, 53koes), and
crowned himself the new king of the Heavyweight division. While the
enigmatic Tyson Fury remains the ‘linear’ champion due to his
November 2015 defeat of Klitschko, there can be no doubt that Joshua
is now clearly the champion in the eyes of the general public. In
beating Klitschko Joshua added the vacant WBA world title belt to his
IBF strap, but most importantly, in this era of multiple titles,
which can befuddle even the most die-hard boxing follower, Joshua
gained victory with a truly championship performance.
Once
the leading beacon of boxing, with champions who basked in worldwide
acclaim, the heavyweight division has struggled with mediocrity and a
lack of competition for the past two decades. Yet, Joshua’s defeat
of Klitschko has sparked off renewed interest and excitement in
boxing's heaviest division, the kind that some had doubted we would
ever see again. It is not simply that he won, but how he won, and
just as importantly, how Klitschko lost.
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| Photo: Proboxing-fans.com |
The
fight itself lived up to all expectations, and then surpassed them.
We saw a duel between two highly-conditioned athletes. There was
skill, heart, and brutality, all the ingredients that make boxing
such a challenging, exciting, and unique sport.
Wladimir
Klitschko, so often maligned in some quarters, for his perceived lack
of durability and heart (even after a decade long run of beating the
best which the division had to offer) produced a performance at the
age of 41, that should finally silence the insults. Although he was
beaten, Klitschko displayed the kind of heart that many have for so
long claimed he did not possess. Wladimir also displayed the boxing
skills that he ruled the division for well over a decade, until his
November 2015 foray against Tyson Fury.
The
story of this fight is not that of a faded, former champion losing to
a younger, but more powerful novice. To say this would be a slight
upon both boxers. At the age of 41 Klitschko is a prime example of
how a life of dedication to his sport can preserve an athlete's
skills. Technically it was hard to fault Klitschko last night. What
he might have lost in the freshness of youth, he more than makes up
for with his wealth of experience, earned with a record breaking, 29
world title fights. Yet to the naked eye, Klitschko is as good as he
has ever been. In last night's defeat, he produced one of his finest
performances.
As
for Joshua, viewed by some as a product of media hype and strategic
match making at its best, in victory, he proved himself to have the
kind of qualities that only the genuine champions possess. In many
ways he is still a novice, after 40 amateur, and only 19 professional
fights, however, he has revealed something against Wladimir that no
amount of experience can give a fighter, the ability to comeback from
the brink of defeat. As the legendary world heavyweight champion of
the 1920s, Jack Dempsey, once said, “A champion is someone who gets
up when he cant.” Last night saw both boxers get up from
knock-downs when they seemingly should not have, but in the end,
Anthony Joshua got up the better.
The
fight started off cagily, with Klitschko looking sharp and showing
good movement, while Joshua steadily stalked his elusive foe. Both
men used their jabs well, with Joshua’s being slower, yet heavier,
while Wladimir’s was faster and more accurate.
Joshua
had a better round three, as he looked to exert more offensive
pressure upon Klitschko, who was still looking to work behind the
jab, and connect with harder pot-shots. The action really started to
simmer up in the fourth round, with both looking to land more telling
punches, but Wladimir being the more active and accurate, and his
extra speed and mobility, gave him a distinct edge.
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| Photo: Round by Round Boxing |
In
the fifth round the simmer finally started to boil, as Joshua came
out with the intention of trying to take control of the fight, and
finally began to unleash his full strength upon Wladimir. Suddenly
the former champion was having trouble holding Joshua off and a
prolonged barrage of punches sent Klitschko to the canvas.
Wladimir
rose from the canvas slightly unsteadily, and with a severe cut over
his left eye but, what followed was perhaps the bravest and most
memorable minutes of the Ukrainian’s long career. Despite being
bloodied and hurt, and with Joshua trying to finish him off, Wladimir
launched a fight-back that turned the round onto its head. Several
sharp blows to Joshua’s face, including an uppercut to the chin,
suddenly took all the steam out of the British fighter. The final
half minute of the round saw Joshua flop backwards onto the ropes,
where he was forced to take several punches before being saved by the
timely bell ending the round. As both fighters returned to their
corners, after what must go down as top contender for ‘round of the
year’ it was Joshua, rather than Klitschko, who looked the more
worse for wear.
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| Photo: Reuters |
Joshua
still hadn’t fully recovered by the six round, and it was Klitschko
who was now the hunter, rather than the hunted. Midway through the
round he dropped Joshua onto his back with a huge right hand.
Although he beat the count, Joshua looked ready for the taking. As
Klitschko pressed his advantage, and tried for the finishing shot,
Joshua showed his own steely resolve and heart as he stood his
ground, held and fought back, and lasted the round. Klitschko,
perhaps feeling the effects himself of the high voltage action, also
missed with some shots in this round, had they connected, may well
have ended the fight there and then.
In
rounds seven and eight Klitschko seemed more circumspect, as he
seemed content to out-box Joshua, who was still showing the effects
of the previous rounds. In the years to come, Klitschko may well ask
himself what might have happened had he forced the action more in
these rounds, especially in the seventh, with Joshua still looking
vulnerable in the extreme. As he was to say later, Klitschko felt
that he could bide his time and that the longer the fight went, the
weaker Joshua would get. Certainly this is how the contest seemed
destined to go at this point.
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| Photo: Round by Round Boxing |
However,
the ninth round saw Joshua recovering his composure and the strength
in his legs, as he began to fight back again, rather than just
surviving. By the tenth round the fight was there for either man to
take, as each seemed to be both dangerous, and weary in equal
degrees.
It
was Joshua who finally showed that decisive spark that is often the
difference between victory and defeat in such bitterly fought fights.
Starting the eleventh round the aggressor, he put Klitschko onto the
retreat with his biggest attack since that tumultuous 5th round.
Wladimir looked to ride out the storm, but once again, could not
contain Joshua. The courage of Wladimir’s performance on this night
was encapsulated by a huge uppercut that caught him squarely under
his jaw, and seemed almost to take his head off, yet this man, who
has for years been labelled as ‘heartless’ and ‘weak chinned,’
kept his feet, and attempted to fight back. However, Joshua was
relentless, and several more punches to the head finally put Wladimir
down. Wladimir beat the count, only to be floored again, seconds
later, by another brutal barrage of head punches.
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| Photo: Daily Mail |
Once
more Klitschko defied logic, regained his feet, and walked again into
the firing line. Joshua showed himself to be a merciless finisher, as
he drove Wladimir onto the ropes, and landed several more punches
upon Klitschko, who now appeared to be defenceless. Referee David
Fields (who did an excellent job throughout the fight) finally
stepped in and called a halt to the action at 2:25 of the 11th
round.
It
can be a cliché to call a fight a ‘classic’ or ‘thriller’,
yet this match was worthy of such a label. While it did not contain
the full-on ferocity of an Ali vs Frazier, or Bowe vs Holyfield, it
was a heady cocktail of skills, mixed with violently swaying
fortunes, and underlined with a slam bang brutality, plus as much
heart as you can rightfully demand from two courageous warriors. This
match was a throwback to the great days of the division. The hope is
that we also saw a promise of things to come in the future.
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| Photo: Irish Mirror |
As
refreshing as the action inside the ring, was the mutual respect from
both men during the build up, and then the aftermath of their classic
fight. This was a match that has really underlined that boxers can
treat their opponents with old fashioned humility and respect, and
still attract the crowds to watch them fight. When the top fighters
meet in the ring there should be no need for the kind of crude, and
often distasteful, build-ups which so many recent fights have seen.
The
mutual respect continued in the aftermath of the contest. With both
men voicing their respect for one another, and recognising what they
had both put each other through.
Joshua
was impressively eloquent in the ring, straight after the hardest won
victory of his career so far.
“I’m
not perfect, but I’m trying. I got a bit emotional because I know I
have doubters. I’m only going to improve. Sometimes you can be a
phenomenal boxer, but boxing is about character. When you go into the
trenches, that’s when you find out who you really are. I came out
and I won, that’s how far I had to dig. I came back and I fought my
heart out. As boxing states, 'you leave your ego at the door and you
respect your opponent.' A massive shout out to Wladimir Klitschko for
taking the fight. I don’t want to say too much because I don’t
know if he wants to come back and fight me. He’s a role model in
and out of the ring.”
The
defeated Klitschko was upbeat in his post-fight press conference
interview.
“I
think we both did great, Joshua and I… I think we did a lot for the
sport, the way we promoted this fight. How we respectively treated
each other and it was a great night. A great night for boxing, for
the fans, and it was exciting, an exciting fight. So I am happy about
that and that’s what I’m taking with me. You will probably be
surprised by my statement, but I don’t feel like someone who has
lost. I feel tonight we all won, even if I didn’t get the belts,
but I don’t feel that I lost, my name, my reputation, my face. I
definitely gained rather than lost. Even if the result was not on my
side.”
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| Photo: Global Publisher |
While
there is no doubt that this is not the golden era of the 70s, or even
the 80s, revisited, this is a new era for the heavyweight division
that promises to be exciting while it lasts. For the first time in
many years we have a collection of young heavyweights with diffuse
characters and differing styles and skills, and now one has emerged
from them all with the potential to be an outstanding champion.
It
is perhaps a too easy after such a fight, to get a little carried
away, and over enthusiastic about the future. Yet historically,
boxing has always thrived during the times when it has had an
exciting heavyweight division. In Anthony Joshua, the division has
the promise of an extremely marketable, and charismatic, champion
whose strength and punching power is tinged with a rawness and
vulnerability. As a fighter, he is everything boxing fans want to see
from their heavyweight champion, something which can be pared down
into one simple word. Excitement.
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| Photo: Mirror.uk |
Joshua
can only improve from last night's experience, and he will need to
improve if he is to clean up the division, and remain champion.
Although he showed great qualities by coming back from the brink of
defeat like he did against Wladimir, there are only a limited number
of times that a fighter can turn defeat into victory, before
eventually they are finally faced by the reality of defeat itself.
Joshua needs to improve his mobility, and his defence, and look at
not coming into fights as heavily muscled as he was against
Klitschko. That said, despite his weaknesses, Joshua still looks to
have an edge over his main rivals, Joseph Parker, Deontay Wilder, and
Luis Ortiz. The main threat to Anthony looks to be from Tyson Fury,
who if he can get into physical and mental shape again, has the kind
of size, speed, and style which could give Joshua fits. Joshua has
proved now that he can end a fight at any time between the first and
last bell of a contest, so even if Tyson Fury was to out-box him for
10 rounds, it would only take one punch to turn the contest onto its
head.
Little
wonder then that a proposed Joshua vs Fury match is already being
talked about as developing into the biggest fight in British boxing
history. It could also be the biggest fight the division has seen for
decades. It would be a fascinating clash of different characters and
fighting styles. The knockout bomber against the elusive boxer.
Ironically,
the rebirth of boxing’s once most popular division, is taking place
in the country which has over the past 100 plus years been ridiculed
for its ‘horizontal heavyweights.’ The heavyweight division has
returned to the place where boxing was born and a new era has began
not just for the division itself, but the sport as a whole.
The
indications are already that Anthony Joshua’s next fight may well
be a rematch with Wladimir. No one who saw last night's fight would
make any protest against such a match taking place.
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