Anthony Joshua already believes that facing Alexander Povetkin will present his second-toughest fight.
But that isn’t stopping the SN staff from predicting that the unified world heavyweight champion will defeat Povetkin (34-1, 24 KOs) in front of a sold-out crowd at Wembley Stadium on Saturday live and exclusively on DAZN. In fact, three SN staffers are predicting Joshua (21-0, 20 KOs) to win by 10th-round TKO. Do you agree? Take a look at our picks below.
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Andreas Hale (2018 record: 1-1): Anthony Joshua def. Alexander Povetkin via 8th-round TKO
This won’t be as one-sided as some fans expect it to be, considering that Povetkin is quite the skilled heavyweight, who has faced some of the division’s best. However, that granite chin has taken quite a pummeling over the years and is on the verge of cracking. David Price came close to stopping the Russian and I fully expect Joshua to eventually lay waste in a competitive fight. There will likely be some interesting exchanges early on where Povetkin looks to counter the hulking Joshua. However, the technical skill of Joshua will set up a thunderous barrage of punches in the later rounds that will cause a stoppage in front of a rabid legion of fans at Wembley Stadium.
Kenneth Bouhairie (2018 record: 1-0): Joshua def. Povetkin by fifth-round TKO
Povetkin's southpaw stance almost guarantees that we see an aggressive Joshua. His jab and straight right should be effective against a far smaller and older foe. Look for Joshua to find his footing early and then swarm Povetkin until the Russian can no longer can stand.
Steven Muehlhausen (2018 record: 2-0): Joshua def. Povetkin via UD
Joshua is going to come out and set the tone early on by popping the jab to control distance. Once he does that, it will help setup his power shots. The only chance Povetkin has is to get on the inside and make it a dirty fight. No one has tried that plan of attack to any success against Joshua. His power and precision is going to be too much for 2004 Olympic gold medalist.
Franklin McNeil (2018 record: 0-1): Joshua def. Povetkin by UD
Simply put: Joshua by unanimous decision.
Tim Struby (2018 record: 0-1): Joshua def. Povetkin via 10th-round TKO
Joshua might be the favorite, but Povetkin is no pushover. He'll give the Brit trouble for the first six rounds but his age (39) will catch up with him. Look for Joshua to take control in the later rounds and ensure the fight doesn't go the distance.
Bradley Cullen (2018 record: 0-2): Joshua def. Povetkin by mid-round stoppage
AJ will be looking to send a message out to the rest of the division that he is still No. 1 and the biggest draw in boxing, so I’m expecting him to get the job done inside the distance. Probably later in the fight around round seven or eight, Povetkin will be laid out on his back looking up at the Wembley arch.
Mark Lelinwalla (2018 record: 1-1): Joshua def. Povetkin by 10th-round TKO
I see Povetkin being more than a game challenger for Anthony Joshua, but the unified heavyweight champion pouring it on until the ref stops the bout. To that effect, I wouldn’t be surprised to see AJ throw that left cross to set up his thunderous right hook to drop Povetkin along the way to victory.
Mark Ortega (2018 record: 2-0): Joshua def. Povetkin by ninth-round KO
The timing of this fight couldn't be better for Joshua. Povetkin just went life-and-death with journeyman David Price and was almost knocked out in that fight before roaring back. I think Povetkin proves game — he's always had heart (the Marco Huck fight comes to mind especially), but the size and age disadvantage are just going to be way too much to overcome. Joshua wins every round en route to a late-round stoppage.
Chris Walker (2018 record: 1-1): Joshua def. Povetkin via 10th-round TKO
Although I expect Anthony Joshua to get the job done against Alexander Povetkin, there could be a few problems along the way if the veteran Russian can show anything close to his full potential. Barring AJ’s heroic win over Wladimer Klitschko, this fight represents the hardest assignment of his illustrious career. Although victories over Dillian Whyte and Joseph Parker are satisfactory, a fully focused Povetkin is quite a jump from the vast majority of Joshua’s previous victims. The 2004 Olympic gold medallist is well-schooled, durable and has world class power. If you can combine all those attributes when it matters, then you’ll always have a decent chance of succces. Povetkin can have moments of success in the middle rounds, but my gut feeling is that the frequent attacks of Joshua will catch up to him in the later rounds.