GUEST COLUMN
Carlos Takam, who replaces the injured Kubrat Pulev in Cardiff on October 28, is the least of Joshua’s worries
The real danger for Anthony Joshua
REGARDLESS of the replacement, the late notice withdrawal of Kubrat Pulev is another new experience for Anthony Joshua. Finding out, late into training camp, that the billed enemy is no longer a target deflates a fighter irrespective of who steps into the breach. In this instance that man is Carlos Takam, the IBF’S highest-ranked contender behind the mandatory Pulev.
When I think of hastily rearranged matches in the division, three contrasting examples spring to mind. The first is Evander Holyfield clinging onto the top rope as 22-1 underdog and late-notice sub “Smokin” Bert Cooper unloaded and registered the first official knockdown of the champion’s career.
Then there is the farcical tale of “Doughboy” Tim Tomashek, duly demolished after being plucked from the crowd to face WBO boss Tommy Morrison at the 11th hour.
The third is Lennox Lewis’ final appearance when, in a rarity, the in-coming was vastly superior to the out-going as Vitali Klitschko showed a tenacity and resolve that it’s very doubtful original opponent Kirk Johnson could have matched.
So how will Joshua deal with the change? It’s easy to presume the best is yet to come from Joshua following his brilliant victory over Wladimir Klitschko in April, but motivation and complacency often play havoc with such expectation.
Talking to Joshua in Cardiff last month, he acknowledged that the greatest threat and worry was taking anything for granted. And history tells us he’s right to be concerned.
In hindsight, Riddick Bowe’s 1992 crowning night against Holyfield was not the start of a glorious reign. It was arguably the start of a slow decline, Bowe was just 25. Mike Tyson was 22 when he brutalised Michael Spinks, Tyson Fury was 26 when he dethroned Wladimir. Time brings clarity but there were certainly early indicators with Bowe, Tyson, Fury and others that, despite stellar performances, they may not enjoy the longevity at their absolute peak that they should have.
The balance of what motivates a fighter changes as their position does. Be it money, competitiveness, insecurity, enjoyment, fame, fear. It is complex, ebbs and flows and is largely sub-conscious. A fighter needs to set ever more gruelling goals in training, to strive tirelessly to improve technique, even when they are at the top. To continually remind themselves of how they got there. To not allow the trappings of success to take hold, lest boxing eventually becomes the distraction. I’ve heard a boxer’s journey described as swimming upstream, if you stop pushing forwards you can’t help but go back.
The extraordinary self-belief and ego needed to cope at elite level obviously go hand-in-hand with over confidence. Lewis, one of the most cerebral of pugilists, lost out to his own complacency twice. Indeed, perhaps Lewis even underestimated Frank Bruno in Cardiff 24 years ago.
So what are the pertinent clues regarding Joshua’s temperament and behaviour? All the signs that we can see are positive. We know Joshua has evolved from his troubled past. Concerns regarding a lack of discipline and over-exuberance, apparent in early bouts, seem to have faded. Valuable lessons seem to have been learned after emotional involvement with Dillian Whyte.
Johnny Nelson has visited AJ in this latest Sheffield camp and was shocked at the Spartan accommodation. There we’ve seen that Joshua and particularly his trainer Rob Mccracken, view the heavyweight as a work in progress. As an athlete who is still learning, with an acknowledgment that he needs to. As someone who is beatable unless they get it right in preparation. Rob is such an understated, sensible man. He let that exquisite moment take him at Wembley, for all of about three seconds, and then he caught himself.
Inevitably, though, more and more around ‘the champ’ will tell him what he wants to hear. It’s ultimately up to him to ensure that what he wants to hear is ways to improve, not how amazing he is.