It has finally arrived. Two heavyweight behemoths at very different stages in their career are ready to go to war in front of 90,000 fans. Master Vs Pupil, Youth Vs Experience. This clash has taken on a narrative of its own since its announcement in December of last year. Klitshcko, the consummate professional will be looking to cement his legacy as a legendary heavyweight and Joshua the hungry, young newcomer will be itching to prove that he belongs in the upper echelons of the division. Is this a step too far for AJ? Is Klitschko too old? There are so many variants and uncertainties that lay ahead. One thing is for sure, it will be a fascinating and enthralling night of heavyweight boxing at Wembley Stadium on April 29th.

Their previous two competitive fights couldn’t have been much more different. I say competitive because Joshua’s bout against Eric Molina was so painfully one-sided it’s hardly worth mentioning. Prior to Molina, Joshua convincingly despatched another in a seemingly endless line of brash American challengers in Dominic Breazeale. Breazeale did prove to be more game than previous opponents in so much as he didn’t simply crumble after a few heavy shots. In fairness to the California native, he did manage to throw some meaningful shots in repost even under great pressure. Klitschko on the other hand suffered a devastating loss to the polarising Tyson Fury. Wlad wasn’t able to come to terms with the unorthodox style of the Manchester brawler and found it increasingly difficult as the fight progressed.

Both AJ and Klitschko can learn a lot from the Fury defeat. Joshua must recognize that what gave Fury the upper hand was; unpredictable shot selection, effective head movement and the utilisation of footwork to frequently change the point of attack. Klitschko thrives when a fighter stands toe-to-toe with him and remains relatively static. That heavy, grinding jab followed by the famous crushing straight right over the top remains the Ukrainian’s bread and butter. Fury was able to nullify that threat with constant motion of his feet and head. Whilst it wasn’t the prettiest fight by any stretch of the imagination, Fury was ultimately successful by being sporadic, unpredictable and near impossible to pin down.

If I were in Klitschko’s camp I would be looking at Joshua’s previous fights and noting a distinct lack of head movement and mobility. Admittedly there isn’t much tape to study but it is very noticeable that when AJ has faced anyone who was willing to throw back he has been tagged and on one occasion wobbled. Whilst Breazeale may not have troubled him to that degree, Dillian Whyte is a different story altogether. There was a distinct lack of discipline from Joshua on the night who allowed emotion and the occasion to get the better of him. Showboating early on, talking to Whyte and taunting him by sticking his tongue out is entertaining for the viewer but highlights a potential weakness for future fights. Not only was Joshua uncharacteristically arrogant but, perhaps more worryingly, he made himself very open to silly shots. No one is debating that Anthony Joshua has power, what is up for debate is his ability to box and move. This upcoming fight is unlikely to descend into an all-out brawl but if Whyte can wobble Joshua then my guess would be that Klitschko certainly can too.

The old boxing adage ‘style makes fights’ still rings true to this day. So, what can we make of these two opposing styles? As previously alluded to, Klitschko generally has a formula that has been successfully refined over the last twenty-odd years. A solid, commanding jab (or double jab) followed by an overhand right. Fuse that punch combination with unparalleled ring-knowledge and it becomes apparent why he has had such longevity in a division that isn’t known for that particular attribute. Klitschko has often been criticised for being boring or employing a ‘jab and grab’ tactic, I would certainly be the first to admit that he isn’t the most exciting fighter to watch but he is; consistent, cunning and often victorious. He is victorious on many occasions simply because he is the better boxer but he also has a few tricks up his sleeve. If you watch carefully, when he throws a jab, Klitschko will often leave his left-hand dangling above the opponent’s head. Whilst he disguises it as a jab or a range-finding means what Klitschko often does is push the other fighter’s head down or manipulates it to a position more suitable for him. As Klitschko is taller than the majority of his adversaries this works successfully to frustrate, dominate and eventually win. If you notice, Fury is marginally taller than Wlad explaining why this tactic wasn’t used as often or effectively as it usually would be. The other trick in the Klitschko playbook is leaning, this is used to weaken and tire an opponent. Again, against Fury he wasn’t able to get in a position to lean as Fury was taller and much more mobile than many others he had faced. When he fought David Haye, Klitschko was able to use this tactic a lot more against the shorter fighter to grind away and exasperate.

Joshua’s style is yet to be fully refined. Of course, he has Olympic and Amateur experience but pro boxing is different. What we have seen in his, generally short fights, is immense power and the ability to throw a variety of punches. Joshua also has youth and speed on his side, Klitschko is far from over the hill but in boxing especially, the reflexes start to slow naturally as the fighter ages. AJ has shown the ability to put together effective combinations at speed that allow spectacular knockouts. For a heavyweight Joshua’s hand-speed is nothing short of stunning, it allows him to hook to the body and move to the head so quickly that his opponent is often still recovering from the original shot. One of the best at this combination was, of course, the great Mike Tyson. For me, whether Joshua will be able to cleanly land as many shots as he wants to will determine the fight.

As for predictions, it is difficult to judge either fighter at this stage in their careers. Klitschko has had so long out of the ring after the Fury fight with delays and the eventual cancellation of the rematch. Could that have had an effect on him in terms of ring rust? Joshua is still at the very early stages of his pro career and has yet to fight anyone with even a fraction of Klitschko’s pedigree. That’s what makes this fight so interesting, either Joshua’s speed and power will eventually win out or Klitschko’s experience and fighting nous. What has been refreshing to see in the post-Mayweather era is a mark of respect between the two fighters. Klitschko recently told Joshua –

“If you win I will congratulate you, when I win I will help you come back.”

There is a real sense that no matter who wins or loses both fighters will hold the same respect for each other that they always have. However, respect doesn’t win fights and when that bell rings on April 29th each fighter will be doing whatever it takes to come out on top. We will either witness a ceremonial changing of the guard within the heavyweight division or a colossal stumbling block in the career of a promising, young fighter in Anthony Joshua. Whoever wins, one thing is certain, this will go down as one of the most spectacular events boxing has ever seen.