British heavyweight star Anthony Joshua is aware of the quality of his opponent in his next fight. While there's no denying Joshua's admiration of Wladimir Klitchko's accomplishment in the ring, he stressed that a victory against arguably the most dominant heavyweight in the last decade will elevate him from champions to full-fledged boxing legend.
In a press conference to hype up their title fight on April 29 at the Wembley Stadium, Joshua, the current holder of the IBF Heavyweight Championship, admits the he patterns his boxing style from Klitchko and former British heavyweight star Lenox Lewis because of the dominance they have shown at the height of their respective career.
Joshua, who is a lot courteous and respectful of Klitchko compared to other fighters who faced Klitchko, believes he has a strong chance of beating the 41-year old Ukrainian, whether it's KO win or a decision.
"Knockout is the cherry on top but to win, whichever way, is very possible. This is a fight that can change you from champion to legend overnight. It's the type of fight that can change the way people view you."
"I definitely try to take inspiration from Wladimir. He's a good man, a great man."
"My preparation starts now. I can take what I built from the last camp into this one, so we're ahead of the game."
Aside from having the right mindset for the fight, Joshua is apparently devising a plan on how to stop Klitchko's jab, which has been his bread-and-butter weapon throughout his illustrious boxing career.
"I haven't dealt with anyone like that before...I've gotta get my mind right...you block it there...you can slip outside of the jab...there's many ways you can deal with."
On the other hand, Klitchko is still not at peace with his loss to Tyson Fury. He thinks that a signature win against Joshua will not only make him a champion again but put him back as one of the best fighters in the heavyweight division.
"I am obsessed to become a champion again. A year and a half break, is it good, is it bad..? I feel it's good."
'My last performance was not good, I was not holding my head up after the fight and my motivation is as high as the sky. The Fury defeat was a wake-up call. I remember the words of Emmanuel Steward 'your signature fights are going to come up' and this is certainly a signature fight."