Joshua should look to Klitschko as he makes next move and other random thoughts
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How about some random boxing thoughts?
I was ringside at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas when Wladimir Klitschko got knocked out by heavy underdog Lamon Brewster, who had taken a shellacking until Klitschko ran out of gas and got stopped in the sixth round of their vacant WBO heavyweight title bout in 2004.
After that loss, Klitschko’s second KO defeat in four fights, he was left for dead. Fans said he was a fraud and that he had no heart or stamina. His own brother, Hall of Famer Vitali Klitschko, told him he should consider retirement. Guess what? He used the naysayers as motivation and never stopped thinking about that fight. He would even go back and watch his worst moment on video from time to time to make sure it was always fresh in his mind. It was his driving force for years.
Following that loss, Klitschko worked harder, won his next 22 fights in a row against all comers and didn’t lose again for 11 years, during which time he became one of the most dominant heavyweight champions ever and a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
I recount this bit of history because Anthony Joshua, who is friends with Klitschko and views him as something of a big brother — even though he knocked Klitschko out in his final fight in the 2017 fight of the year — is in that exact moment right now in his career.
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Photo: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
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