Chambers on Joshua

LONDON - Former world heavyweight title challenger 'Fast' Eddie Chambers likes what he has seen of fast-rising prospect Anthony Joshua, but fears his run of soft opposition may only serve to hurt him in the future.

The 32-year-old Chambers, once of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, now an honorary member of Team Fury in Bolton, speaks from experience. Back in March 2010 he scaled the heights and challenged Wladimir Klitschko for the world heavyweight championship. He therefore knows a good heavyweight when he sees one.

“At the moment they're doing a good job of making Joshua look unbeatable,” said Chambers. “The only problem with that is you get to a point where that's all you're used to. Then you get in there with somebody who can prove you're very beatable. Then panic sets in. Then you realise you have no foundations or experience to fall back on.

“Unfortunately, there's too much fanfare from TV right now. They're trying to analyse the improvements when he's fighting nobodies. They're putting a guy who is 6'6 in with much smaller guys who aren't really talented or athletic in the slightest. They have no talent beyond coming forward and blocking shots with their face.

“How do you asses someone's development against these opponents? Joshua won't even get hit by these guys. And, if he does, it's just a lucky shot.”

Chambers, 39-4 (21 KOs), continued: “Joshua's a big, strong, athletic guy. He's a super athlete. These big heavyweights are a different breed to what they were a few years back.

“And that means you shouldn't match him against smaller guys with no ambition and then expect him to somehow be tested. It won't happen. You have to put him in with someone who is either similar in size to him or at the very least someone who is athletic, slick, durable or strong.

“I'm not saying he won't beat these opponents. He could go in there, wipe them out and surprise me. But, until that happens, we don't really know how good he is.

“Ultimately, if you want him to become a world champion and you want him to reach the top, you can't keep feeding him the same stale food every time. You've got to feed him something spicy now and again to keep his taste buds alive.”

Renowned for being an often avoided member of the heavyweight division, Chambers doesn't expect a call from Joshua's promoter anytime soon. But, in the unlikely event that the call does arrive, he's more than happy to ask a question or two of the unbeaten Londoner.

“People might start believing their own BS and could be quick to test him,” said Chambers, who next appears on November 8 at Glow, Bluewater. “If that happens, I may get the call. I don't expect it to happen anytime soon, as there are other fights out there for him that don't carry as much risk, but I would never say 'no' to an opportunity like that. It would be nice.

“I'd like to see him go all the way, though. I'd like to see him get far. Let's see these young guys go out and prove themselves. Then, if our paths meet and there's a bit of meat dangling between two dogs, I'm not the type to back down.”

Renowned for being an often avoided member of the heavyweight division

??

Fast Car mocked Fast Eddie recently on Twitter re his comments on AJ.

That said, would like to see AJ fighting someone of Chambers' calibre soon.

catchweight wrote: a bit of meat dangling between two dogs.”

Reminds me of a very drunken night I had.

Chambers has a point re joshua, but it's hardly a revelation and early days for AJ. As per the thousands of posts on the subject, its time for a bit of a step up and sprott isn't it.

As Hearn pointed out on Twitter though, AJ has been pro less than 12 months with a short amateur career, parallels with Chambers' age & progress aren't really realistic.

It was a relatively short amateur career, Toppy....But one which still included an Olympic gold, so you can't help but expect a quicker progression through the ranks for him than most others, I guess.

Appreciate what Eddie's saying about the weight of expectation, but it might help if he could stop his old man from pushing out articles in the tabloids saying that Joshua can become the greatest of all time, mind you!

TopHat24/7 wrote:

Renowned for being an often avoided member of the heavyweight division

??

Fast Car mocked Fast Eddie recently on Twitter re his comments on AJ.

That said, would like to see AJ fighting someone of Chambers' calibre soon.

Maybe Joshua should fight Thabiso Mchuno instead....After all that household name recently won 9 rounds out of 10 on all cards against Chambers...

Another guy approaching his mid-thirties...

Is it illegal to be a young heavy these days ??...Maybe Joshua should be arrested..

I think Chambers speaks a lot of sense. Pretty much spot on.

Sounds like an aging fighter trying to talk up a pay day for himself. Because he consistently moaned about the age and physicality of AJ's opponents which he would fit in to, then I question then why he thinks a fight would be viable as he too is an small aging heavyweight? Surely as he has had similar amount of fights, Chambers should be calling for Hughie Fury to take on AJ, or because he is part of the Fury camp, Hughie gets a little more lee way.

AJ has done well in his first 12 months and after dealing with Sprott, next year taking on the best domestically in Europe should be seen as good grounding for the future. If he continues to develop at speed then by the end of the the year and early 2016 the likes of Wilder Stiverne, Perez and Arreola should be on the horizon