Anthony Joshua can move beyond national phenomenon to a potential boxing great

Sky’s the limit | Joshua announces himself to the world by beating Klitschko at Wembley
Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
John Dillon29 March 2018

Anthony Joshua makes no claims to greatness but he can take another big step toward carving his name in boxing’s heavyweight pantheon on Saturday night.

Joshua, the WBA, IBF and IBO world champion, is looking to add the WBO belt to his name when taking on Joseph Parker at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.

The 28-year-old confesses that he still has a lot to learn but he has already made a huge statement in the past year, filling out Wembley stadium and Saturday’s venue in title fights against Wladimir Klitschko and Carlos Takam.

Now, as Joshua heads undefeated into his 21st contest, comes the point when he can move beyond the role of national phenomenon and corporate poster boy to a potential great.

This is when the Londoner can start to create the exciting hope of a long reign at the top. Phase one of his career at the highest level came when he defeated the former multiple champion Klitschko at Wembley last April, which took him to global prominence.

Phase two, however, was more low key, a ticking-over exercise five months ago against the stubborn but limited Takam. But against New Zealand’s Parker — who is certainly a live and dangerous opponent - at the sold-out 78,000-capacity Principality Stadium, Joshua has the opportunity to show that he has improved again.

And he can also demonstrate that he has grown further into the role of world heavyweight champion.

The challenge for Joshua is to subdue and overcome a rival who is quick, clever, powerful and potentially as durable. He certainly believes in himself, predicting another belt will be his by round nine. If he is as good as his word, he will have begun the process of reigning as a unified champion.

In Pictures | Anthony Joshua's professional fights

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It is Joshua’s devastating punching power — he boasts a 100 per cent knockout record — which has done most to reignite the heavyweight division. Against Parker, 26, the six-foot-six-inch Joshua will enjoy a two-inch height advantage. And, more significantly, a six-inch longer reach.He will also be coming in lighter than in his last fight in order to counter Parker’s flexibility of movement and the quickness of his jab.

The Kiwi has gone the distance five times while Joshua has never had to do it. If that suggests Parker has the stamina to trouble Joshua, it also hints that he cannot match the Englishman’s knockout power.

Then there is the crowd factor. Joshua has always looked at ease before his huge audience.

His reactions to the attempts of the Parker camp to rile him have been just as phlegmatic. Parker, for all his easy swagger, will be in new territory, fighting in front of a fiercely partisan crowd at a higher level of competition.

He will pose a threat and he will test Joshua. But the Londoner’s prediction will be proven correct and it will be over somewhere deep after the half-way mark. And he will then head on to even bigger things against WBC champion Deontay Wilder.

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