Anthony Joshua v Charles Martin

Morrison J

Supposedly about to be announced in the next 48 hours.

World title fight for AJ. Not sure its a great career move for him tbh. From the one fight I've seen of Martin I think AJ beats him but if he wins that theres no going back. No more building when your world champ. It's still a bit soon for him imo.

Potential to be a good fight though I think albeit a risky one for Hearn and co.

Mantis Toboggan

Apart from Glazkov has Martin fought anyone in the top 50?

barney4001

just to compare ring sizes then and now


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9_Ly7ZewAI&list=PLvWoMVGdsAKY0BURuyFtg7o7rAZyx9J_t&index=4

Andre 3000

Joshua by very early KO. I really do not rate Martin at all. His fight with Glazkov should have been a NC. He's very slow and very predictable.

DylanAFC

AJ's next opponent announced at 6 bells. Few whispers on twitter that it could be Hughie Fury.

Mantis Toboggan

DylanAFC wrote: »

AJ's next opponent announced at 6 bells. Few whispers on twitter that it could be Hughie Fury.

World title shot against Charles Martin

Mantis Toboggan

I'd fancy Joshua to ko him inside 5 rounds

Andre 3000

Yeah it's been confirmed. Absolute gift for Joshua. I'd much rather see him as champ rather than Martin but this is an absolute joke of a title fight. Povetkin must be absolutely raging.

Dick phelan

Martin is awful easy win for AJ, embarrassing this is a world title fight.

Johner

Have the people saying this is an easy win for Joshua seen much of Martin? Curious to know what their opinions are based on.

Larsso30

pac_man wrote: »

Financially it makes sense for him to be fighting for a world title now. The more Joshua fights, the more high profile he'll get and receiving 25% for a mandatory position doesn't make business sense.

Politics aside,I'm not convinced this is the right for Joshua in terms of his overall career development.Sure, he'll more than likely win but he will be just like Wilder in the sense that he'd be a world champion that is still very much learning on the job. It kinda illustrates how poor the division has become.

in one for me too.

Cant blame him and his team for taking it at the same time, but too soon for me. No going backwards when you are HW world champ, more so in Britain than Wilder in US, much greater expectation on him

Mantis Toboggan

Fair play to Martin for taking the fight, puts wilder to shame.

He probably realises he won't be champion for long and has decided to cash in. Hopefully he's getting a nice little pay packet for himself.

Maybe he could surprise everyone, hw boxing can end on one punch, but for me it would be a bigger shock thanwhat Fury done to steelhammer

StringerBell

Johner wrote: »

Have the people saying this is an easy win for Joshua seen much of Martin? Curious to know what their opinions are based on.

I think if AJ takes it lightly he could be in for a shock, but if he is prepared properly he should come through and take his first world title with relative ease. Martin is an easy to hit target, though he is capable of throwing back also and I have a little doubt in my mind given the way Joshua was rocked by Whyte that if something similar happens Martin would more then likely be able to finish the fight.

Its a risk at this stage for AJ, but probably too good an opportunity to turn down to get a world title.

Larsso30

Word is Haymon is losing his nuts and trying to cut costs, hence why he allowing martin travel.

A year ago Haymon wouldnt of allowed this imo

Henno30

Larsso30 wrote: »

Word is Haymon is losing his nuts and trying to cut costs, hence why he allowing martin travel.

A year ago Haymon wouldnt of allowed this imo

There's a lot of speculation over the state of PBC, but none of it is particularly conclusive. The hedge fund that's financing it all is losing value at an alarming rate, but the implications for PBC are unclear.

I'm surprised this fight is happening. I fully expected Wilder to duck Povetkin, with the blessing of the WBC, and take the belt from Martin. I'd love to know why that didn't happen because that would be the usual way of doing things for both the WBC and Haymon.

Also, I didn't think Hearn would want the shot for AJ this soon. I imagined that he would have wanted more build-up, to the point where Sky would be selling AJ's title fight as one of the most important nights in British sporting history.

But maybe he thought it was too good of a chance to miss. Because there is very little chance of Martin holding onto that belt for very long. And it's clear that Haymon's plans for the UK have Hearn at the centre of them so maybe this was a gesture of good faith from Haymon to get Hearn to play along with other plans.

As for the fight itself, Martin doesn't look up to much. A basic enough fighter with decent power, but no speed in either his feet or hands. Unless AJ gets caught with one game changing shot I think he wins relatively easily.

Larsso30

i dont think Haymon has UK plans, he hardly has a hand on his US plans at present

Henno30

Larsso30 wrote: »

i dont think Haymon has UK plans, he hardly has a hand on his US plans at present

Check this out - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/boxing/floyd-mayweather/12155863/Floyd-Mayweather-and-Eddie-Hearn-join-forces.html

Mayweather has been on appearance tours in the UK over the last month as well. It seems likely that he will acquire a promoter's license with Richard Schaefer running the company.

Whatever happens with PBC, Haymon isn't going anywhere. He's been taking 15% of those generous purses he's been paying out to fighters from that huge hedge fund. They will simply sign the fighters to Mayweather Promotions and carry on.

Morrison J

DylanAFC

Can we expect a strong undercard for this because no way does this fight have enough selling power on its own to be PPV?

Johner

DylanAFC wrote: »

Can we expect a strong undercard for this because no way does this fight have enough selling power on its own to be PPV?

Heavyweight title fight with Anthony Joshua, I'd imagine this will have no problem selling.

walshb

DylanAFC wrote: »

Can we expect a strong undercard for this because no way does this fight have enough selling power on its own to be PPV?

Do you think Eddie Hearn gives a sh1t about that?

Morrison J

DylanAFC wrote: »

Can we expect a strong undercard for this because no way does this fight have enough selling power on its own to be PPV?

It's decent enough. Groves, Selby, Macklin all on it.

Joshua will sell well in the UK anyway. Does better figures than anyone over there.

FTA69

StringerBell wrote: »

I think if AJ takes it lightly he could be in for a shock, but if he is prepared properly he should come through and take his first world title with relative ease. Martin is an easy to hit target, though he is capable of throwing back also and I have a little doubt in my mind given the way Joshua was rocked by Whyte that if something similar happens Martin would more then likely be able to finish the fight.

Its a risk at this stage for AJ, but probably too good an opportunity to turn down to get a world title.

He's probably looked at the other heavyweights out there and decided he could have a bash off any of them so now is as good a time as any to grab a strap and throw his hat in the mix.

StringerBell

I don't think AJ beats Wilder, at least not yet. **** knows with Fury, Martin is certainly the easiest target right now anyway and a great opportunity for him to go through the stratosphere in terms of hype and media attention.

Mantis Toboggan

DylanAFC wrote: »

Can we expect a strong undercard for this because no way does this fight have enough selling power on its own to be PPV?

Yeah tickets sold out in 90 seconds I'd expect this to do huge numbers.

Mantis Toboggan

Morrison J wrote: »

It's awful stuff, they should replace Johnny Nelson with Tyson Fury to spice things up!!

holy guacamole

If Joshua wins this will he become second in the list of heavyweight champions with the fewest fights?

I know Spinks beat Ali in his eighth fight but just wondered has anyone else captured a belt in less than 16 contests?

Kaiser84

The way Joshua leaves his right side open a lot gives Martin a chance in the fight, in my opinion.

I know **** all about Martin, but I'm not sold on Joshua either.

When you are susceptible to left hooks and are fighting a southpaw who can bang, the southpaw has a chance.

Joshua should win, Martin can win.

FTA69

Much as I like Joshua I'd love to see him KO'd just to see the utter deflation of the arselicking that the British media are currently engaging in as well as Hearn's face afterward.

walshb

FTA69 wrote: »

Much as I like Joshua I'd love to see him KO'd just to see the utter deflation of the arselicking that the British media are currently engaging in as well as Hearn's face afterward.

Fury would like to see him smashed too. Makes it easier for Fury not having to meet him. They meet, Fury gets knocked clean out!

Loved their banter on twitter lately!

FTA69

What are you on about? Fury would box the ears off Joshua all day long and still have time for a victory parade around the O2 via sulky trap.