BANNED HARTLEY BACK FOR 6 NATIONS
Brit world champ vows to be a serial winner
ANTHONY JOSHUA has set his sights on becoming the Cristiano Ronaldo of boxing.
The IBF heavyweight champion is determined to go down as a legend who has done the business at the highest level year after year, just like the Real Madrid superstar.
And he believes he can start his legacy with a famous win against Wladimir Klitschko next year.
Joshua, 27, will meet the former champion in a blockbuster unification bout in front of an anticipated 90,000 crowd at Wembley on April 29.
Now 31, Ronaldo shows no sign of slowing down and this week won his fourth Ballon d’Or, awarded to the best footballer on the planet. Joshua, who has a perfect record of 18 KOs from his 18 pro fights, said: “This is the start of that legendary campaign.
“I like Cristiano Ronaldo because of how long he has been around at the top level. You can’t do it once, you have to do it more.
“You want to go down as a good champion and get the respect.
“So when it is asked, ‘How many times have you done it?’, you can say, ‘ Years, I’ve been here for years’.
“That is cement. You can’t break that. That is what being legendary is about.”
And cool- customer Joshua refused to get worked up by former sparring partner Klitschko calling him “little bro”.
But he did say: “He can call me ‘ little bro’ until the cows come DYLAN HARTLEY breathed a sigh of relief last night despite taking his career tally of bans to an astonishing 60 weeks.
England’s captain (left) was suspended for six weeks at a hearing in London for his stiff-arm tackle to the head of Sean O’Brien.
It means he is free to lead England in their Six Nations title defence against France at Twickenham 12 days later.
Hartley’s case was heard by two Welshmen and an Italian to guard against accusations of home, and then I go and spank him out in a round – it’s kind of irrelevant.”
Watford-born Joshua is actually bracing himself to go the distance for the first time but, when told the bookies have him down to knock Klitschko out between the fifth and eighth rounds, he laughed and said: “Good, that means I don’t have to go 12 rounds again!
“You don’t bet against the house. That is safe money right there.”
Discussing his excitement for the super- showdown, he said: “Like someone who has a passion for building cars and they have an old classic car they need preferential treatment. The panel duly added a fortnight to his ban in recognition of his awful career rap sheet.
But they stopped short of the maximum tariff of between eight and 52 weeks so as not to threaten his Test career.
He could have been made an example of – on the day World Rugby announced a zerotolerance crackdown on contact with the head.
A ban for that France game would have given boss Eddie Jones an excuse to start with Jamie George. It would also to build, this is my next project so I am looking forward to it.”
Suggestions that Klitschko, who will be 41 come April, might be an old banger brought another have cranked up the pressure on Warren Gatland to look elsewhere for his Lions skipper, with fellow hooker Rory Best commanding huge support. port.
Instead, it is now a question of whether Jones is prepared to throw him into the Six Nations after eight weeks without a game.
Jones (right) could send him back to Northampton, who play at Leicester seven days before Le Crunch. Or he could start George, see how Owen Farrell belly laugh from the fighter. But he is no doubt about the size of the task ahead against the Ukrainian legend, who lost his titles to Tyson Fury last November. Joshua added: “I have been in fights where I didn’t perform well and I have wanted to come back and prove to everyone that I’m much better. When he starts training camp, he’ll be locked in.” Klitschko said: “Losing to Fury woke me up. I prefer to go into this fight with AJ with the experience and motivation that I got from Fury – failure, in that fight. “With age I got faster. And my endurance got better, my anticipation. Until now I’ve seen progress.” copes with the armband and reintroduce Hartley off the bench. World Rugby are to take a harderharde line on dangerous tac tackles, decreeing that fromf January 3, “the head is a no-go area”. Though reckless rather than malicious, HartleyH clearly strayed into that area. Scarlets flanker James Davies has been banned for three weeks after swearing and making an obscene gesture in their defeat at Toulon.