Anthony Joshua has been backed to get the KO he needs to prove his win over Wladimir Klitschko was no fluke.
Joshua defends his IBF and WBA Super heavyweight titles against Kubrat Pulev in Cardiff on Saturday, October 28 – and Matt Skelton is well placed to pick the winner.
‘The Bedford Bear’ fought both towards the end of a 37-fight career that included a shot at the WBA strap – and he says Joshua will record a 20th straight KO.
“Pulev was good, very correct and caught me with a very good body shot,” said Skelton, “but Joshua has too much for him.
“He’s too strong, too athletic – and he punches too hard.
“His punches are very accurate, quick and clean. When Joshua hit me, I didn’t think: ‘Wow, that was a good shot,’ I didn’t have time to think anything. I didn’t see the punches coming and the next thing I knew I was on the floor.
“I don’t think having those world titles is enough for Joshua.
“I think he wants to prove he’s the best of the best and to do that, he has to get fighters like Pulev out of there inside the distance.
“If the fight goes 12 rounds, people are going to start asking questions and say maybe Joshua beat Klitschko because he was old.
“Joshua will want to prove the Klitschko fight was no fluke.”
Joshua got off the floor to beat Klitschko in front of 90,000 fans at Wembley Stadium in April and Skelton said: “His confidence will be sky high after that.
“Joshua showed a lot of qualities that night.
“A lot of fighters would have gone in there thinking: ‘I’m getting paid well, there’s no shame in losing to this guy and I’m young enough to come again’ and when you think like that, you find a way out when it gets tough.
“But Joshua was there to win the fight.
“It will take a very good fighter to beat him – and the only one who can really challenge him at the moment is (WBC champion) Deontay Wilder.”
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