Anthony Joshua says he’ll never be a bruiser as he looks to continually improve his ring IQ

After taking some time to reflect on his most recent performance, former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua tells Sky Sports that people need to look at the specific attributes of a fighter when analyzing their game. Joshua, for instance, has taken some criticism for not doing more to force a stoppage of Jermaine Franklin, but Joshua says he’s much more of a thinking fighter who is cerebral in the ring.

“I’m quite tall, I’ve got a long range but I’m not going to be a bruiser. If you look at my character, I’m not the most aggressive, outwardly type of person, I’m not a fighter - I’m more of a boxer, there’s a thought process, there’s a method behind the madness.”

With that in mind Joshua says he’s been working to sharpen his mind and his tactics in fights rather than try to simply blast his opponents out of the ring. That said, he is aware that there are instances that require him to just bite down and fight.

“I’ve always tried to develop my boxing IQ but over 12 rounds there are times where you have to fight and I want to become a box fighter...The man who has a plan A, B and C in his locker because he can use his jab, he can move around, he knows how to defend - I think he’ll have more of a chance to be victorious on a tough night.”

So ultimately Joshua says he’s pleased he was able to get the 12 full rounds in against Franklin as he was able to get additional experience he believes will help him become a more well-rounded fighter.

In the meanwhile Joshua is being lined up for what is expected to be a very notable fight in December, and while he says there’s a possibility of a fight happening over the summer, it’s going to take for him and his coach to be pleased with their ongoing progress in training before he’s willing to consider it.