Anthony Joshua is set to take on IBF World Heavyweight Champion, the American, Charles Martin, on the 9th of April at the sold-out O2 arena in London.
Do you know how many minutes it took to max-out ticket sales for this fight? – 90 seconds. That is a total of a minute and a half.
Did you also know that these two Heavyweight GIANTS can knock each other out COLD in that much time too?
Bet you did. If you follow boxing, then you know how BIG this fight is.
Anthony Joshua is the current Common Wealth, British and WBC International Champion who boasts a 100{317a7769e272dec17b69bda26c6a5a4c5e6799efcd8a85f72cb552b76862c2b9} KO rate, winning all his 15 fights by way of knockout. Charles Martin on the other hand is the visiting fighter with a 95{317a7769e272dec17b69bda26c6a5a4c5e6799efcd8a85f72cb552b76862c2b9} KO rate and will be looking to improve his record a notch from 23 – 0 – 1 to retain his IBF World Heavyweight title.
There are many doubts in the minds of boxing pundits when it comes to these two Heavyweight champs. In the world of boxing history greats, legends and champions to have ever held the IBF World Heavyweight title, Charles Martin is considered the weakest of the lot. The south-paw will look to prove the world wrong by outclassing Anthony Joshua with his clinically accurate punching precision, with the aims of dealing the Brit his first ever loss via stoppage late in the fight (provided he survives Anthony’s onslaught). Martin will be riding on an all time confidence high with the belt on his shoulder. He has nothing to win, but everything to lose – and that can play in his favour against a hungry contender like Anthony.
On the other hand, one-punch KO destroyer, Anthony Joshua is considered a freak athlete with all the required skills and necessary tools to beat the current champ; but some believe Anthony is taking the biggest risk of his career by stepping up too soon against a world champion, deeming him unready. Boxing aficionados are claiming that his lack of experience and his unproven ability to face true adversary will be put to the ultimate test against in the form of the American. Anthony Joshua is also riding on a 100{317a7769e272dec17b69bda26c6a5a4c5e6799efcd8a85f72cb552b76862c2b9} KO and victory rate – winning all his recent fights in dominant style; and his chin is tested too.
While Charles Martin is considered the weakest Heavyweight Champ to have held the title, it might play well into the relatively inexperienced but highly talented Anthony Joshua. A win over the American will place him in the upper echelon of the boxing world for sure.
Current Heavyweight giants Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilde, and David Haye already have their eyes set on the winner of Joshua VS Martin, looking to fight the winner.
Tyson Fury has explicitly asked for the fight via tweeting Anthony’s promoter Eddie Hearn, stating that he ‘wants’ Anthony Joshua for the biggest Brit fight yet.
Deontay Wilde wants him too after he’s faced Russian adversary Alexander Povetkin, while David Haye has also expressed his wish to fight the young, fellow Brit.
The tensions are peaking as the date draw closer. This is most definitely one of the biggest fights to be recently televised, and I’m NOT just talking sheer size here. What does fate hold in store for these two titans? Is there a chance of a newly crowned Heavyweight king on the horizon? Or will the American take his belt back and prove to the world that he’s NOT the weakest champion to have ever held the WBA title.
