Anthony Joshua Set for Toughest Test to Date Against Kevin Johnson

Since turning pro after winning a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics, Anthony Joshua has had to cope with the pressure of being viewed as a future heavyweight world champion.

When you look at him, it is easy to understand why.

Joshua is a mountain of a man. He stands at 6’6” yet looks much, much taller than that. He always looks in fantastic shape, a physical freak who suggests his workouts are so tough they could be a montage on a Rocky film.

The 25-year-old is a smiling assassin, good in front of the camera and seemingly with an appreciation for his position as a role model.

Part of that comes down to what might have been. In 2011, Joshua confessed to a charge of drug possession. He avoided jail, instead receiving a 12-month community order and sentenced to 100 hours unpaid work.

As the man himself told Gareth A. Davies of the Telegraph before the London Games, it was a crossroads moment, yet thankfully he opted to head down the right path.

So far he has eased past all 12 opponents put in front of him by his promoter, Eddie Hearn.

A dozen have attempted to derail the Joshua bandwagon, yet so far no one has even extended him beyond three rounds.

Christopher Lee/Getty Images

For Hearn, the toughest test has been picking the right people to take him on. There is always a desire to stretch Joshua but without losing sight that these are still very, very early days in his development.

With that criteria in mind, Matt Skelton and Michael Sprott were perfect.

Both were well-known boxers who had enjoyed domestic success, but they were also well beyond their best years. They were good names to put on the record but ultimately no more than cannon fodder.

Now, though, it is time to take a gamble.

On May 30, Joshua will face Kevin Johnson. It is a fight that was meant to happen back in January, only for the Englishman to be ruled out with a back injury.

He took time out to recover from the pars stress fracture but has since recorded routine wins over Jason Gavern and Raphael Zumbano Love.

Neither Gavern, an American who has only just won more than he has lost, nor Love—a Brazilian whose claim to fame was taking a 42-year-old Shannon Briggs the distance—was expected to offer much resistance.

Johnson (29-6-1, 14 KO), however, could be a different kettle of fish.

The American was ringside in Birmingham, England, to see Joshua stop Love inside two rounds. He made his presence known by climbing into the ring to go head-to-head with the man he will face at the O2 Arena in London.

It seems the 35-year-old from Atlanta was not overly impressed by what he saw that night, judging by his comments to Matchroom Boxing:

"

He (Joshua) is a media hype job and let me tell you this, once this dude is out the way I’m going to show you that the future of the Heavyweight division is right here,” said Johnson.

I’ve said it before, I’ve got the antidote for this guy. It’s something all of these amateur Olympic guys have in them, you’ll see come Saturday – that’s all I’m going to say on that.

I’ve been here for two months now and not remotely homesick – I’m hungry for something, and I know what I’m about to get.

"

Joshua was unfazed by his rival's words, telling Donald McRae of the Guardian: “Look, he’s an American. They’re a different breed. They’re arrogant. Their egos are bigger than themselves but that’s what makes it interesting.”

But Johnson doesn’t just bring trash talk to the equation. He also boasts a record that no previous opponent of Joshua's can match.

Kingpin may have lost six times, but no one has ever stopped him. WBC champion Vitali Klitschko couldn’t put him away in 2009. Neither could Tyson Fury (in 2012) nor Dereck Chisora (last February).

He has fought 227 rounds in his career: Joshua, in contrast, has done a grand total of 22.

This is a clash between two men at opposite ends of the line, yet that is part of what makes it so intriguing.

Scott Heavey/Getty Images

Joshua should look at fellow heavyweight David Price as an example of how quickly things can change.

The Liverpudlian was 14-0 before his best-laid plans for the future were derailed by Tony Thompson, an American with a fine pedigree but viewed as past his prime at the then-age of 41.

Price ended up losing not once but twice to Thompson, forcing him to head to Europe to get his career back on track, not to mention to rebuild his fragile confidence.

Joshua, however, will be determined to make sure it is not an unlucky 13th fight for him on Saturday night.

The thing with big men in boxing is it takes just one punch to dramatically change opinions.

Price found that out to his cost, as too did Wladimir Klitschko. Despite all the Ukrainian has achieved in his illustrious career, some still use his losses to Corrie Sanders and Lamont Brewster over a decade ago to suggest he can be vulnerable to a heavy shot.

In reality, Klitschko has not lost since 2004 and is the undeniable king of the division. He is the role model for all heavyweight hopefuls.

We don't yet know if Joshua can overcome a wobble, a moment of genuine concern, just yet.

He looks like a special talent, but his credentials—and, possibly for the first time, his chin—could be tested by Johnson.