Anthony Joshua’s big moment is here. Regarded as one of the best heavyweight prospects in the world and already a big draw, the raw 26-year old is getting a shot at a world title.
He’ll face IBF champion Charles Martin, who beat Vyacheslav Glazkov this past January to claim the strap.
Bet on boxing odds at BookMaker.eu
HEAVYWEIGHTS
Anthony Joshua -540
Charles Martin +420
Please note, the boxing odds at BookMaker are updated on daily basis. The lines listed here may have changed since this article was posted.
HERE COMES JOSHUA
Standing at 6’6” and blessed with explosive athleticism, the undefeated Joshua has already racked up 15 wins - with all of them coming by way of KO/TKO. The Olympic gold medalist from the 2012 London Games is taking a step up against Martin, but the boxing odds at BookMaker obviously indicate that he’s ready, as he’s more than a 5-to-1 favorite.
“Fighting for the heavyweight world title has been a dream of mine since I turned professional,” Joshua stated. “I feel privileged to have the opportunity to turn that dream into reality. Not only that, having the chance to fight for it in my hometown at the O2 and live on Sky Sports in unbelievably exciting. Charles Martin is a great fighter and a hungry competitor, so I am going to have produce the performance of my career to claim that belt.”
Martin - 23-0-1, 21 KOs - is just an inch shorter than Joshua, at 6’5”, which makes for an interesting test for the prospect. However, Martin is still a relatively unknown fighter and wasn’t on anyone’s radar before beating Glazkov. And he had plenty of help winning that bout - Glazkov was forced to retire due to a knee injury in the third round.
Despite being the champion and having more pro fights, you can easily make the argument that it is Joshua who is the much more experienced fighter because of his lack of high profile fights. Beating a blue chip prospect like Martin would do wonders for his career.
“I told my team I wanted the best challenger possible for my first defense, and Anthony Joshua’s name kept coming up,” Martin said. “I’m coming to the U.K. to make a statement that I am the best heavyweight in the world and no one is taking my title.”
FIGHT ANALYSIS
While both men have impressive physiques and are nearly the same height, it is Joshua that is the world-class athlete. And his punching power is absolutely terrifying. It’s Martin that’s taking the huge step up in competition, and nothing on his resume makes the case that he’s ready for somebody like Joshua. Expect the Brit to win the title in front of frenzied hometown crowd.
PREDICTION: JOSHUA KO MARTIN R9
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