Anthony Joshua’s Punching Skills Praised by Deontay Wilder’s Trainer

Anthony Joshua’s Punching Skills Praised by Deontay Wilder’s Trainer

Anthony Joshua, the British heavyweight champion, has been criticized by some for not unleashing the powerful punches that propelled him to the top of the boxing world.

However, one of his potential rivals’ trainers has praised his ability to throw combinations and compared him to the legendary Mike Tyson.

Joshua’s Impressive Knockout Record

Joshua started his professional career in 2013 and quickly rose to fame by knocking out all of his first 20 opponents. He won his first world title in 2016 by stopping Charles Martin in the second round. He then defended his belt against Dominic Breazeale and Eric Molina, both by knockout.

In 2017, he faced his toughest challenge yet, Wladimir Klitschko, and knocked him out in the 11th round in a thrilling fight. He added two more titles to his collection by knocking out Carlos Takam and Alexander Povetkin in 2017 and 2018 respectively.

Joshua’s Recent Struggles

However, Joshua’s knockout streak came to an end in 2018, when he faced Joseph Parker in a unification bout. Parker became the first man to take Joshua the distance and lost by unanimous decision. Since then, Joshua has had mixed results in his fights.

He lost his titles by a shocking knockout to Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019, but regained them by a unanimous decision in a rematch later that year. He then defended his titles against Kubrat Pulev in 2020 and knocked him out in the ninth round. However, he also lost a controversial split decision to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021, losing his titles again.

Joshua’s Compliment from Wilder’s Trainer

Despite his recent setbacks, Joshua still has a chance to reclaim his glory by facing Deontay Wilder, the former WBC champion who is known for his devastating right hand. Wilder’s trainer, Malik Scott, who is also a former heavyweight boxer, spoke highly of Joshua’s punching skills on TalkSport. He said:

“[People in America think that] he’s a big guy that can fight, he’s got too many muscles. It seems like Stateside people talk more about his build than his skillset. In my opinion, Joshua puts together punches more than any heavyweight in the last 10-15 years, I mean combinations.”

Scott also compared Joshua to Mike Tyson, one of the greatest heavyweights of all time, who was known for his ferocious speed and power. He said:

“He reminds me of Mike Tyson sometimes when he puts together four or five-punch combinations with speed and power.”

Scott’s compliment is significant because he is preparing Wilder for a trilogy fight with Tyson Fury, another British heavyweight champion who defeated Wilder by knockout in 2020. Fury and Joshua have agreed to terms for a unification fight in 2022, but they have to get past Wilder and Usyk first. If Joshua can regain his titles and face Fury or Wilder, he will have a chance to prove that he is indeed the best heavyweight boxer of his generation.