Joshua vs Martin April 9th

Great fight for Joshua in my opinion but I think Martin will give him a good fight

Looking forward to this

I think Joshua is ready for the top boys now

Even a loss at this stage wouldn't hurt his career as long as he proves he can mix it at world level

I think he will win though

I hope we don't have a situation where he beats Martin but isn't ready for the top guys like Fury, Wilder and Povetkin. It'll get him a lot of heat from fans being called a world champion when Eddie won't put him in with the real top end guys.

Called it the moment Fury was stripped..

Belt and stiff central for two years. .

I wonder what Furys big announcement is now?

A world title will be Matchrooms license to have every Joshua fight a ppv event, irrespective of opponent.

Hopefully it doesnt go down the route Brook is going down or the couple of years Quigg spent fighting nobodies. I really want to see Joshua tested against the best in the division. Not dfending against IBF mandatories and domestic level rivals.

He'll "learn" with the belt

Looking forwards to this. AJ smashes the yank sideways.

Certain poster, who has no life, goes on and on about some of our guys holding belts they haven't earnt etc. Yet one of his own gets a free ride. Maybe if he was from the 80s he'd stand a chance.

So immature..

Go away

My life isn't your problem. .

You boys shouldn't play so rough...somebody is gonna start crying

Both fought Raphael Zumbano Love around the same time and, while Joshua got him out of there in two, he took Martin 10 rounds. Joshua's more green, but he wins this.

Agreed....I'd have Martin v Whyte pickem

tommyhearnsprodigalson wrote:I wonder what Furys big announcement is now?

I was thinking about this, I don't think there was one, I think he was just messing about knowing Joshua's next fight was going to be announced and wanted to start rumours of him coming to London for Joshua negotiations. Basically, Fury being Fury. Trying to mess everyone about.

As for the fight, fantastic news, think Joshua has had harder opponents to date, as I'm not really counting the Glazkov fight as any real experience for Martin, but has dealt with them in more stunning fashion. Joshua will win and by KO I reckon but Martin will be game.

Should have listened to Larry Holmes advice who said not to rush Joshua but to keep him active.

Martin by mid rounds ko.

Sounds a tad like your Curtis Stevens will KO Golovkin prediction OneTwo. He did have a mean left hook, though, just GGG's was meaner.

Not sold on AJ yet. Of course he has loads of potential. However I have a feeling he will defend against Brook level of opposition if he wins.

Eddie will milk him before he lets him near Haye, Fury etc.

Anyone reckon Team Martin are cashing out- preferring to immediately make a shed-load on a fight with Joshua than lose against a no-name?

Very odd first defence otherwise. They've either got a lot of confidence in their man or none, it seems.

Yes, Martin cashing out. Joshua will go through him like a hot knife through butter and then defend on PPV until he fights Haye next year.

Ok learning fight but Fury is the heavyweight champion until he loses.

I think Haye will go the Fury route if Josh destroys Martin.

Agree it will be over early..

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:I think Haye will go the Fury route if Josh destroys Martin.

Agree it will be over early..

Naaaa, Haye vs Joshua is Matchroom's next big earner. Think it's all agreed in principle.

This will be all over in about 4. Martin got lucky and he knows it. He has a roster of no names on his record. 3 fights ago he fought Tom Dallas! I reckon Joshua will have less trouble with Martin than he did with Whyte.

Still, I reckon that Haye will be BEGGING either Joshua or Wilder to give him a shot after this. He ain't getting a title otherwise.

Martin is pretty ordinary. Better to lose the title for big money than for small. One way or another, he wasnt going to be holding it for long.

This is Charles Martin cashing out 100%. He's practically been gifted the belt by the IBF. Fury stripped, Galazkov was a non contest due to the injury.

Martin either stays state side and fights nobodies for chump change until he eventually runs into somebody half decent. Or he does the aforementioned and gets pancaked by Joshua in the end anyway.

He's stripping out the risk of losing the belt before getting to that big money showdown. Smart move really. There'll be a shed load of cash on the table for this fight for him to come to London and defend against Joshua first time out since 'winning' the belt.

Imagine the numbers this is going to do on sky PPV.

I expect Martin believes he's good and fancies going to beat another unproven fighter for big money. Don't see it as cashing out. Although Joshua couldn't have dreamed of an easier first title fight really.

Hearn will be milking Brook and Joshua's cheap belts in UK arenas for a while to come

Its an ok fight - except for the ridiculous "World Title" tag when everyone knows thats just a title without any legitimacy.

Hoping Martin flattens him personally.

Cheers, Rodders

Rodney wrote:Its an ok fight - except for the ridiculous "World Title" tag when everyone knows thats just a title without any legitimacy.

Hoping Martin flattens him personally.

Cheers, Rodders

I wouldn't necessarily say I hope Martin flattens him but I wouldnt mind an end being put to the Anthony Joshua hype train.

Hearn has done a good job with AJ and people are lapping it up. Regular Joe public especillay but also the hardcore fans have been well and truly sold to for the most part.

IMO his boxing skills are quite ordinary. He's a big guy and has a big punch but thats as far as it goes for me.

I still think Martin is cashing out personally. Why else would your first defence be against a big punching prospect with a pristine 15 KO record, outside of your home country for the first time? Sky PPV numbers thats why.

Once Joshua has his hands on this it will be Kell Brook mark 2. We'll suffer a load of shabby IBF mandatory defences while Eddie drums up a massive hype train fught against an aged David Haye in Summer 2017/18 that may or may not ever happen.

Cashing out and cashing in are two different things. Of course he's fighting Joshua for the Sky money. But as a young undefeated heavyweight I'm sure he has self-belief and fancies his chances

Lance wrote:Cashing out and cashing in are two different things. Of course he's fighting Joshua for the Sky money. But as a young undefeated heavyweight I'm sure he has self-belief and fancies his chances

Valid point. Perhaps they are just 'cashing' and are not to concerned whether it be out or in? It's win win either way.

AlexHuckerby wrote:Sounds a tad like your Curtis Stevens will KO Golovkin prediction OneTwo. He did have a mean left hook, though, just GGG's was meaner.

You mean the one he then bleats on and on and on about every time GGG is mentioned, implying how much he struggled with the african-american 'slickster', neglecting to mention the struggles lasted about 30 secs before he got blasted out of there in about 4 rounds from memory......

Rodney wrote:Its an ok fight - except for the ridiculous "World Title" tag when everyone knows thats just a title without any legitimacy.

Hoping Martin flattens him personally.

Cheers, Rodders

Why always so bitter?

Would your opinion flip if it wasn't for a world title?

Rodney wrote:Its an ok fight - except for the ridiculous "World Title" tag when everyone knows thats just a title without any legitimacy.

Hoping Martin flattens him personally.

Cheers, Rodders

Leave that to Tyson Fury

I hope Joshua wins then goes on to flatten David Haye

Then he gets flattened by Fury

Has Joshua faced a southpaw in the pros? I think the Cuban he faced in the Olympics was a southpaw (might be wrong) and he looked awful in that fight, I thought he lost.

There are southpaws like Corrie Sanders and there are southpaws like Martin..

Whichever stance he fights off will be irrelevant..

I don't see the sense with the hate for Joshua. Evening if you don't buy into all the hype he is exciting to watch and hasn't said anything to really put people off him. People are getting carried away but I for one hope he is the real deal. Should be a good fight whatever the outcome. Looking forward to it.

Think Rodney can see where it's going...

Cheap title and then stiff galore with the Hearn mantra "He's only had 16 fights so the fans have to be patient "..

If he's good enough to fight for the IBF then he's good enough to fight for the rest too..

I dont hate Joshua. I think he could be what the divisions needs. I dont like what Matchroom are doing with him though. The heavily manufactured persona, the fastrack to ppv for domestic level fights. I fear its just going to be another vehicle to sell shows for Matchroom and flog behind the scenes shows on Sky rather than establishing a real heavyweight champion who clears out and dominates a division. I think if he wins this title we could be subjected to IBF mandatories and domestic level rivals on ppv with a "collision course" et up againt David Haye which consists of a 2 year build up where they fight stiffs on the same ppv cards.

Aj will be a 17st Kell Brook. A few stiffs await, unless they see weakness in Haye.

Best thing Haye can do, is purposely not look overly hot in his next fight or two. It will lure matchroom into a false sense of security. They will then seek the fight with Haye.

Joshua will certainly get two unavoidable mandatories and a domestic bad blood rivalry in the next year if he's champ. All on PPV with a sold out local arena

Haye and Matchroom will probably be a match made in heaven. They no there is no rush with a fight with Joshua. It will only be more lucrative down the line and gives both boxers the excuse to make extra good money blasting out hand picked stiffs under the guise of a mega showdown at a later date.

If Haye was serious about become a proper heavyweight champion, he could raise his competition and take on some of the better contenders out there. My guess is he is praying Joshua will land the belt and then continue to take on cake walk fights with Matchrooms co-operation. Easy fights to make him look good while he talks up the big fight with Joshua.

Hopefully Im wrong.

Got to Agree with everyone else on this one. Joshua beats Martin and then we have him facing stiffs for the next 2 years as 'he continues to learn'. Terrible way to do it really but if people keep paying for it then it's gonna happen.

catchweight wrote:Haye and Matchroom will probably be a match made in heaven. They no there is no rush with a fight with Joshua. It will only be more lucrative down the line and gives both boxers the excuse to make extra good money blasting out hand picked stiffs under the guise of a mega showdown at a later date.

If Haye was serious about become a proper heavyweight champion, he could raise his competition and take on some of the better contenders out there. My guess is he is praying Joshua will land the belt and then continue to take on cake walk fights with Matchrooms co-operation. Easy fights to make him look good while he talks up the big fight with Joshua.

Hopefully Im wrong.

You're probably right!