“I’m not perfect but I’m trying.”
Despite his flawless record of 19 knockouts in 19 wins in 19 fights, Anthony Joshua is under no illusions about the fact that he still has plenty of work to do.
There are fewer margins for error in the heavyweight division because a glancing blow that would be eaten for breakfast by a lightweight might be enough to turn the lights out on one of boxing’s big boys.
Being the most marketable fighter to come out of Britain in some years and possessing the undeniable skill to dominate the sport for several more to come has led Joshua to the pinnacle of professional pugilism.
But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t fighters he looks up to.
The 28-year-old was recently asked to give his opinion on who the greatest boxer in the world is and Joshua arrived at a name which some might argue with.
“Canelo — Canelo is my guy,” Joshua told talkSPORT, via Business Insider.
While Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez’s super-fight with Gennady Golovkin last month ended in a draw, several fans were of the opinion that the scorecards were nothing short of scandalous.
Treading the fine line between rant and meltdown https://t.co/p7PEylzWR2
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) September 18, 2017
Golovkin was most viewers’ stand-out winner that night but it was Alvarez’s showing in that particular fight which most impressed Joshua.
“Golovkin has got explosive hands, power in both hands,” Joshua said before praising the Mexican fighter for preventing “Golovkin from detonating his bombs.
“He was moving out the way, taking them [punches] on the gloves. And normally they cause a lot of effect on other opponents but Canelo found a way to dismantle what he was trying to do.
What a f**king chin on that guy! https://t.co/jB6O9JXRU5
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) September 19, 2017
“If you look at Canelo… he’s only 27, still young. At training, in every camp, he’s added something new. In all sports, some athletes get stuck in a routine and the people around them aren’t adding new routines or new structure to the training camps.
“Canelo has added head movement, rolling, slipping. And I saw all that come into play when he fought Khan and when he fought Golovkin.
“He has really improved since the Mayweather fight. He’s phenomenal.”
