AJ GOING INTO THE UNKNOWN
Froch warns Joshua he must dig deeper than ever before
CARL FROCH has warned Anthony Joshua that he will have to go “deeper than he’s ever gone before” to finish Wladimir Klitschko’s career.
And the Cobra fears the magnitude of Joshua’s task will sink in only on the long walk to the ring at Wembley on Saturday night. Froch (right) was the last British fighter to taste glory at the national stadium when, in front of 80,000 fans, he knocked out George Groves to retire as WBA and IBF super-middleweight champion. Groves’ ringwalk was so long he had to catch a bus for part of it, and Joshua will have ample time for trepidation as he bids to repeat Tyson Fury’s shock points win in Dusseldorf 18 months ago, which ended the giant Ukrainian’s 10-year unbeaten run. Fury got under Klitschko’s skin like a tick, but Froch says Joshua simply does not have a spoiler’s mentality to copy the Gypsy King – who last week dismissed the Watford Wallop as a “poor man’s Frank Bruno.” Froch, who will be commentating at ringside, said: “There is a lot of thinking time on that walk from the dressing room to the ring at Wembley, and Joshua will be thinking: ‘This is the biggest test of my career.’ “He hasn’t fought anyone of true world class before, he’s never gone further than seven rounds, and he’s only been tagged once. “Dillian Whyte, who was like a gatekeeper for the stepup to world-title level, hurt Joshua before he ran out of gas. Fury gave a masterclass in getting under Klitschko’s skin – at the press conference, at the weigh-in, and he was still at it when they got in the ring, getting at him all the time. “And then he was an awkward, horrible b ***** d in the actual fight, frustrating Klitschko because he could never quite catch him, and it was stressing him out. “Joshua has got to step up massively in class – you are talking about one guy who has had only 18 fights and another who’s had 67 and has been round the block many times.” Froch, who will turn 40 in July, says Joshua, who has banged out all his opponents inside the distance to date, could be forced to take the scenic route to unify the IBF, WBA and IBO heavyweight crowns. “Anthony is used to putting his opponents on the back foot with combinations and, when they start landing, the other guy is going to fall over or the referee is going to stop the fight,” said Froch. “But what happens if he can’t catch Klitschko early? He will have to stay composed and use everything he’s been doing in sparring, but can he deliver in front of 90,000 at Wembley under immense pressure? “When the fight was made, I thought Joshua would be too young, too fresh and too strong for an ageing Klitschko – but the more I’ve seen of Klitschko, the more I worry. “Klitschko knows what’s at stake. He’s in the last chance saloon. Where do you go when you’ve lost in front of 90,000 at Wembley? “Joshua will have to dig deeper than he’s ever gone before, and be prepared to go the distance, because Klitschko knows how to survive. He’s not going to be there to be hit. “I don’t think he can follow Tyson Fury’s template for beating Klitschko because he doesn’t have the mentality. He’s a nice guy outside the ring and he doesn’t have that horrible, awkward style as a fighter. “He has flair, technique and power, but Fury is just a horrible bloke to fight and what he did to Klitschko was pure genius. “Joshua is 27 and he’s young enough to come again if he gets taught a lesson. My heart says he will win, but my head says it could be a gruelling scrap.” CARL FROCH was speaking at the partypoker MILLIONS Event, Dusk Till Dawn Nottingham. For information visit www.partypoker.com