Can Dominic Breazeale put up a better showing than Charles Martin did when he fought new heavyweight star, and new IBF champ Anthony Joshua? That’s what people are asking now that “Trouble,” as the unbeaten 30-year-old is known has landed first crack at the belt A.J so ruthlessly and effortlessly ripped from Martin on April 9th. Another questions is, can Breazeale possibly do any worse than Martin did?
Breazeale, tall, athletic and possessing heart and power, spoke to Sky Sports yesterday, and he assures us he was as embarrassed as the rest by Martin’s pitiful showing. Breazeale also vows to restore US pride in “ruining” Joshua’s reign.
“I thought it was a bit of an embarrassment on Charles Martin’s part,” Breazeale said of the April 9th fight. “Big kudos to Anthony Joshua for winning the way he did and now he’s on to his next one, and it’s going to be a tough opponent against me. That will be a shock to the world for sure, going to a man’s backyard and taking his belt. Take his crowd – please them – gain some fans. There’s no better way to do it. I’m 17-0(15) every man I’ve faced I’ve put down on the canvas. I’m definitely going to ruin that perfect record.”
While Breazeale undeniably has the power one would expect from a man his size (6’7” and approx 245-pounds) he is wrong when he says every opponent he has faced has tasted the canvas. In his last fight, against ageing but dangerous southpaw Amir Mansour, it was Breazeale who was in trouble, decked in the 3rd-round, before coming back to force an injured Mansour to remain on his stool after the 5th. But at no time was Mansour on the canvas. But anyway, has Breazeale got a puncher’s chance against Joshua, or something more?
A former football player who came to boxing relatively late, Breazeale nevertheless had a good amateur career, boxing at the Olympics in London 2012 (unfortunately losing in his first bout by decision). But it is very hard to see Breazeale outboxing Joshua, the man who won gold in 2012. Judging by the way he’s talking, Breazeale feels as though an upset KO is his best shot at winning. With two guys this big, anything can happen, and Breazeale will surely make more of a fight of it than the deposed Martin did. But it’s tough to predict anything other than another KO win, his 17th in total, for Joshua.
