Seconds out! This weekend sees a huge heavyweight championship fight as Anthony Joshua defends his WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO world titles against Russian challenger Alexander Povetkin. The powerful pair face off at Wembley on Saturday, with all the action live on Sky Box Office – click here for details on how to order the fight.
It promises to be a titanic clash of former OIympic champions, who’ve both proven they can bang with the best of them. In fact, we’ve pulled together a few examples of the sort of explosive power they can muster – we reckon it could be a short night if a shot like these ones hits home during Saturday’s bout!
ANTHONY JOSHUA
AJ’s rise through the paid ranks was, in a word, quick; he finished his first 14 fights by knockout, never once letting the action go beyond the third round. That changed when Dillian Whyte provided the toughest examination of his career - but when the end arrived in the seventh, it did so with an almighty bang!
His next fight was against Charles Martin for the IBF heavyweight title - and it took less than five minutes for AJ to put the smack down on the American to claim his first world belt…
And while the legendary Vladimir Klitschko was on his feet when the referee waved the fight off, the end was signalled by an uppercut that came close to taking the Ukranian’s head clean off!
Of the 20 challengers to stand across the ring from AJ, only Joseph Parker has managed to hear the final bell; while he’ll fancy stoppage No. 21 this weekend, he’d better keep his hands up, because his opponent can lob some bombs of his own!
ALEXANDER POVETKIN
Carlos Takam put up an unholy battle against both men, but ultimately met his demise late in both fights; in the case of his scrap with Povetkin, it ended with a chilling left hook…
Things were taken care of decidedly faster when Mike Perez stepped up to the plate; the Cuban fighter, who is actually based in Ireland, was handed a one-way ticket to Dream Street with a smashing right hand in the very first round…
The man known as the White Lion had a few more hurdles to jump before securing his shot at AJ’s gold – and David Price was the final challenge in his way. Price acquitted himself pretty well, until the sort of finish we’re more used to seeing when playing Mortal Kombat!
Can AJ tame the White Lion? Watch Anthony Joshua vs Alexander Povetkin exclusively live on Sky Sports Box Office this Saturday – click here for details on how to order.
