12th September, 2014
Undefeated Anthony Joshua admits he still has plenty to learn after sharing a ring with heavyweight king Wladimir Klitschko.
The 24-year-old recently spent 10 days with the IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO champion in Austria ahead of Klitschko’s now-rearranged title defence against Kubrat Pulev.
Joshua will now aim to use the experience gathered from sparing with fellow Olympic champion Klitschko to use when he faces Konstantin Airich at the Phones 4u Arena in Manchester on Saturday.
German-based Kazakh Airich brings a wealth of experience to Lancashire this weekend with 17 KO wins and 153 rounds in the bank – so Joshua expects his time with Klitschko to be invaluable.
“I felt I belonged there but Wladimir is different to everyone else,” said Joshua. “He’s been the champ for 10 years – he’s in a league of his own.
“For me to be where Wladimir Klitschko is there’s a lot of work to be done. I can see myself potentially being there, but to own it and make it look easy, there’s a little bit of work to be done.
“I feel I am talented enough to become the world champion, but to stay there for as long as he has, keep defending the titles and stay hungry for it, that’s what I need to learn.”
On Saturday Joshua adds Manchester to London, Liverpool, Sheffield, Glasgow and Cardiff to the list of major cities he’s boxed in as a pro, and on October 11 he returns to the scene of his debut at The O2 where he’ll box for his first pro title just after a year in the paid ranks – and while the level of his opponents are stepping up, his mind-set remains the same as he targets a British title shot in 2015.