Anthony Joshua vs. Wladimir Klitschko: 5 keys to the fight

On Saturday, April 29, Anthony Joshua will face Wladimir Klitschko in a heavyweight championship fight in front of 90,000 fans at London’s Wembley Stadium. Here are five keys to Joshua-Klitschko.

Regardless of how one feels about the current state of heavyweight prizefighting, or even the last 15 or so years in boxing’s glamor division, the magnitude of Anthony Joshua-Wladimir Klitschko, which will be contested for the WBA, IBF and IBO titles, is undeniable. Legacies will be shaped and altered, and the fight should kick off a new era for the sport’s marquee weight class.

As for the fight itself, Joshua-Klitschko promises the kind of (almost) unbearable tension that only a match between truly elite punchers can produce. Even if Joshua-Klitschko features sporadic action, each exchange of power punches could legitimately lead to a spectacular conclusion.

There are also compelling angles at play in Joshua-Klitschko: Can the aging, former champion turn back the clock and perform in a way resembling his dominant title reign? Will the seemingly invincible Joshua (18-0, 18 KOs) get exposed on the biggest stage of his career due to inexperience? Is Klitschko (64-4, 53 KOs) simply shot? Is Joshua as much a product of hype and weak opposition as actual substance?

In sense, Joshua-Klitschko represents one of boxing’s time-honored traditions: the passing of the torch where the aging fighter must suffer the literal pain of defeat in the ring to officially and symbolically make way for a new era. In this sense, it’s easy and tempting to pick Joshua in a star-confirming performance. And yet, there are enough variables at play that nearly make this fight a pick ’em contest.

With that, here are five tactical and psychological keys to Joshua-Klitschko — a match that should be enthralling no matter how it unfolds.