With Joshua coming off a cautious rematch win over Andy Ruiz Jr, in which he showed a great level of boxing ability, the intrigue was around how the champion would approach the fight. The Bulgarian had lost just once prior to the fight in a one-sided knockout defeat to Wladamir Klitschko, and he was certainly touted to put up a good effort, with his solid chin, high level of experience and boxing skill enough to trouble most. We start with Anthony Joshua and his most recent fight against IBF mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev. More on that below.įor now, we take you through some of Joshua and Fury's most notable winsĪnthony Joshua floored Kubrat Pulev four times in a nine-round stoppage win in December Of course, we cannot gloss over Klitschko, who both men have beaten in arguably their standout wins. He would finally get his hands on Pulev in his most recent bout, however, in what was a mandatory defence of his IBF strap. Joshua was also forced into a late change of opponent when he fought Carlos Takam, with Kubrat Pulev pulling out with injury. Meanwhile, Andy Ruiz - who Joshua only fought as a late replacement for a drug-failing Jarrell Miller - had lost just once in a controversial majority decision defeat to Joseph Parker, whereby most thought it was the Mexican who had won. Joseph Parker was the undefeated WBO heavyweight champion at the time, while Alexander Povetkin - who had lost only to Klitschko - has since shown his prowess with a stunning knockout win over Dillian Whyte. Meanwhile, Joshua's last five opponents have all come in tough match-ups. Otto Wallin, who has now claimed an impressive win over Dominic Breazeale, had fought no-one of note prior to his fight with Fury, while Tom Schwartz still hasn't claimed a win to talk about.Įven Deontay Wilder, who is certainly a top-level, world class fighter, has a pair of wins over Luis Ortiz as his only truly notable victories, while the less said about Francesco Pianeta the better. What's noticeable is that of Fury's last five opponents, three have been undefeated fighters. However, it's the caliber of their respective opposition that is troublesome. The Gypsy King does have the valid excuse of a few comeback fights following his lengthy absence, but the likes of Joey Abell, Christian Hammer, Sefer Seferi, Francesco Pianeta and Tom Schwartz just do not compare.įury fans may indeed argue that while Joshua has the opponents in numbers, it's the Gypsy King who has the more impressive victories.īelow is a brief look at each of their opponents and the records they held at the time of the match-up. In addition to Molina, Joshua has seen off the challenges presented by Kubrat Pulev, Alexander Povetkin, Joseph Parker, Wladamir Klitschko and Andy Ruiz Jr - all serious operators.įury's notable wins, on the other hand, come against just Deontay Wilder and Klitschko. Yes, Derek Chisora is a household name in the world of boxing, but with 10 defeats on his record, it's a fight Fury would always be expected to win. In fact, when you directly compare the their opposition, it's certainly Joshua who has more high-profile names on his resume.Įven Eric Molina, who is perhaps the least fearsome on Joshua's otherwise jam-packed last-10, took a certain Deontay Wilder nine rounds when they fought the year prior.
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