Anthony Joshua smiled for the cameras as he held aloft the collection of belts he had retained with seventh-round knockout of Alexander Povetkin in September at Wembley Stadium.<\/p>\n
After being taken the distance for the first time in his career by Joseph Parker last time out, Joshua was back to doing what he does best – knocking people out.<\/p>\n
The champion\u2019s triumphant return to the national stadium – the scene of his thrilling title win over Wladimir Klitschko 17 months earlier – was hailed by many ringside pundits and keyboard warriors as one of his best fights.<\/p>\n
Champion of 3 sanctioning bodies, 22 wins, 21 by stoppage, what could be wrong?<\/p>\n
Defense, believes former cruiserweight and heavyweight champion David Haye.<\/p>\n
Povetkin – four inches shorter, almost two stone lighter and with a seven-inch reach disadvantage – hurt Joshua in the opening rounds, breaking his nose and wobbling him with heavy hooks.<\/p>\n
Haye, who now earns his money outside the ring as a pundit, believes Joshua\u2019s leaky defense could be a problem if he faces WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder in the future.<\/p>\n
“Joshua will need to get his defensive work a little tighter,\u201d Haye told Sky Sports ringside at Wembley. “He can’t afford to get hit with left hooks and right hands like he was tonight when he’s in there with Wilder.”<\/p>\n
Frank Warren, Tyson Fury\u2019s promoter, points the finger of blame at Joshua\u2019s coach Rob McCracken, who previously guided Carl Froch to his WBC world super middleweight title.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know a lot of people have a lot of respect for Rob McCracken. I don\u2019t think he\u2019s with a trainer who\u2019s great at teaching boxers defence,\u201d Warren told Boxing News. \u201cCarl Froch didn\u2019t have a great defence. Look at his nose. He didn\u2019t have a great defence. He had a great chin.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnthony Joshua\u2019s been clipped in every fight he\u2019s ever had. [Carlos] Takam clipped him, every one of them and he got clipped again [against Povetkin] the first round and in the second before he knocked him out. He\u2019s got a big heart. He\u2019s got a big punch.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf that had been Wilder catching him on the chin, or even Tyson catching him on the chin, do you think they\u2019d have let him off the hook? The answer to that is no,\u201d insisted Warren.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t look at what fighters are good at doing, I look at what are doing badly or what their flaws are. And his flaw is you can catch him with a right hand. He\u2019s not hard to hit.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Joshua waits to discover whether he will face Fury or Wilder at Wembley Stadium next April in his seventh world title defense, there is one nagging doubt in the back of his mind.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always think about that one punch,\u201d admitted Joshua after victory over Povetkin. \u201cNo one can beat me skill-for-skill, I don\u2019t think. But it\u2019s that one punch: I\u2019d hate for that to be the reason. One punch. And that\u2019s what they\u2019re all looking for.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Photo by Alex Livesey\/Getty Images<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Photo by Alex Livesey\/Getty Images<\/p>\n