By Tim Parsons-
Anthony Joshua is sporting a much slimmer physique than he has through out his 24 fight career in what could work to his advantage or disadvantage.
The former undisputed world heavyweight champion appears to have shed about a stone, and will be more mobile and faster than usual. This means the chances of Joshua delivering a massive KO in Saudia Arabia may be higher with his force and determination. The only is if the slimmer weight makes him more vulnerable to the effects of a heavy punch from Andy Ruiz Jnr who is expected to come in at around the 18 stone mark or even heavier, without losing his speed or aggression.
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Joshua has taking note of the criticisms about his previous muscle bound figure which has seen him blow out all previous 23 opponents before his smooth unbeaten run was brought to a sudden end by Andy Ruiz Jnr. If losing so much weight turns out not to be a mistake, Andy Ruiz will have been the perfect oppponent to bring the best out of Joshua. Joshua’s strength and power is not lost, it will make him more slick and dangerous if he moves confidently and hits accurately.
The unknown factor is whether his resistance has weakened as a result. Sparring sessions with a variety of fighter would have provided some answers about Joshua’s resistance, especially the likes of aggressive fighters like Derek Chisora and others who have given Joshua tough preparation for his crucial rematch fight.
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Joshua seems more determined that ever to regain his titles and has already predicted a KO win on Saturday. He has spoken of being ”focused’ on the one guy”, unlike last time when he had trained for American Jarrell Miller, before accepting Ruiz as a late replacement. He knows how fast Ruiz’s hands are, and is ready to match Ruiz’s speed and force the victory he desperately needs. He has so far spoken of having a ”prison mindset”, where all his focus has been on training and picturing the devastating beating he has to dish out on Ruiz to become two time world champion.
Ruiz is determined to prove the first victory was no fluke, he wants to enjoy being world champion for longer. This means Joshua will have to force the victory he craves. It’s the only way the world will bow down to his feet and respect him as the undisputed world champion.
Image: PA
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