By Tim Parsons-
Anthony Joshua is looking past Eric Molina and has already set a date with Klitschko for April 29, 2017.
Joshua, who holds the IBF heavyweight belt, faces Molina at the Manchester Arena on December 10 for his second defence of his championship belt. Wladimir Klitschko, a former reigning world champion, will be ringside to watch the fight.
Molina is best remembered for his impressive performance against WBC champion, Deontey Wilder, whom he wobbled in the third round of their fight but was unable to finish it and snatch the WBC belt. He managed to give Wilder a tough fight for another six rounds before the American nailed him with a bomb that knocked Molina out in the ninth round.
Molina has promised to derail Joshua’s smooth path to heavyweight greatness, acknowledging this as his last chance to win a heavyweight title. Anthony Joshua has different plans, and under the guidance of Eddie Hearns already has his sights on Wladimir Klitschko for April 29th, 2017. He is looking past Molina, despite his verbal claims to have his entire focus on his fight next week.
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Hearn says the deal against Klitschko has been made, it was made with Joshua’s consent. The 2012 olympic gold medalist expects to get rid of Molina and ”make it look easy” as he once said in the build up to this fight. It is not easy to blame Joshua for his confidence but the popular Londoner must remember that this is heavyweight boxing and Molina is no mug.
He came close to showing up Deontey Wilder, and Joshua’s world will crumble if for any reason he gets beaten by Molina. Molina shouldn’t last six rounds with Joshua, but things that shouldn’t happen have happened before in heavyweight boxing. Buster Douglas K.O victory of Mike Tyson in 1989 should not have happened, but it did.
When Hasim Rahman knocked Lennox Lewis senseless in 2001, that should not have happened, but it did. A hungry fighter with some ability can derail a champion’s path if the champion if the champion loses concentration at the wrong time. Eric Molina is better than Charles Martin, who Joshua easily blew away to win the IBF title. Martin subsequently retired with his biggest payday of $5m Molina is coming to win, but Joshua will stop him if he is on his A game.
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With 28 fights against some good opposition and just 3 losses, Molina has experience and enough confidence to try for an upset which is in no way impossible. If, as expected, Joshua goes past Molina, beating Klitschko after will just be a formality. Klitschko would have been out of the ring for 18 months by then in what is a ridiculous plan by a former undisputed world champion.
Klitschko should have had at least one fight before meeting a champion like Joshua who has been fighting quite regularly. Klitschko’s experience and hunger to regain his titles will give him a bit of a chance of victory, but Joshua will expose his stupidity. If Klitschko were truly smart like he is given credit for, he would have had at least one fight planned for January of February before meeting Joshua, but he won’t want to risk missing out on the big pay -day that a loss before then can cause.
It’s too bad because of the former long-reigning champion does not trust himself enough to first dispose of one of the highly ranked contenders, he might as well sell his pride for a big payday and leave the heavyweight scene with two consecutive defeats on his record. It’s Anthony Joshua whose heart and bank balance will both be laughing loud.
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