Many pundits feel the tentativeness in Anthony Joshua’s game appears to be increasing by the fight, with even his promoter Eddie Hearn admitting recently that fans are unlikely to ever see him return to his previous, aggressive style.
There are a few theories as to why and when Joshua became a more reserved fighter, but one of his heavyweight rivals has offered up a simple explanation.
Croatian heavyweight Filip Hrgovic told Boxing News that he believes Joshua is not as confident in his attacks because he has a suspect chin – and he knows it.
”I think he’s a good fighter. He’s fast and he’s a big puncher. But the problem with him is he has a bad chin and he knows that if he gets hit, he’ll go down.”
“There’s big pressure on him. He’s a big star and he doesn’t want to lose again. So that’s why he’s a little bit patient.”
“When you throw a lot of punches, there’s of course a bigger risk of receiving a punch. And like I said, he knows he doesn’t have a good chin so he know he can’t receive too many punches.”
“But he’s a good fighter and he’s done a lot of things in boxing.”
If Hrgovic’s assumption is correct and Joshua’s chin is a weakness, that does not bode well for the Brit in a potential clash with devastating puncher Deontay Wilder, which has been earmarked for early 2024.
Skill Challenge Entertainment are looking to stage the cross-Atlantic dust up in Saudi Arabia, though there is believed to be some way to go before a deal is finalised.