Could Sprott Be Up Soon for Joshua?

Sky are reporting that Michael Sprott has thrown his hat into the ring as a potential opponent for Anthony Joshua. Not sure how much truth there is in this but personally would love it to be true. Accept bringing a young fighter through at the right pace is one of the hardest things in the game but like most people watching someone like Joshua bowl over doormen gets tired pretty quickly.

Whilst I am not going to argue Sprott is any great shakes he would bring a wealth of experience into the ring with him and you would like to think that having fought all over Europe he would have picked up enough knowledge to give Joshua a bit of a test. Even if he doesn’t at least he is a guy we have seen and know a bit about so his performance should give us a clue as to where Joshua is, or is likely to go. Would personally love to see this on the undercard of Froch Groves, Joshua has time to fit a fight in before this and Sprott gets plenty of time to prepare and come in in decent shape.

Read the article and Sprott says he's he committed to the New Zealand equivalent of Prizefighter with £100,000 prize money but says he'd be willing to take Joshua on (I'm assuming "if the price was right" is a the unspoken part.) He says no-one's officially approached him but he's aware that his name is being touted along with Sexton and. Skelton.

I agree Sprott is a decent test for Joshua and a big step up from the dross he's currently fighting. Not so sure that Sprott should be so quick to boast that he's already dealt with one Olympian in Audley though.

Sprott would be a decent test, took Helenius the distance, and went 9 rounds with Pulev before retiring. Doesn't have knockout power so that isn't something Joshua would overly have to worry about but has a decent engine to make him work three minutes a round.

Would be better than his last couple of opponents, a fight I'd be happy to see.

Hearn mentioned Sprott and Skelton after his last fight - both good fights. Both should be obvious wins (don't think he should be targeting risky fights when so inexperienced) but Skelton in particular can be a bit dirty and rough him up. Be a better learning experience than most of his oppos.

Can only agree top hat. At least with guys like Skelton and Sprott you know who they are. Some of the wins Joshua has had thus far may be excellent wins but unless you spend a day on youtube and boxrec or are Chris, how are we going to know as the opponents and their records are completely unknown to most of us. For me both Skelton and Sprott should be beatable at this stage but will give us some clue as to how far Joshua could go and if he was to bowl either or both over early we may be able to get excited about how far he can go with something approaching justification.

Hopefully David Price will afford us some caution over getting excited too quickly and hurrying AJ along.

It's a delicate balance......

Skelton was bowled over by Price in two and people still continued to moan about the level of his opposition, yet this is a great test for AJ?

I personally think it is a good test, but a bit hypocritical from what people were saying about Price.

But people (not just Az) did point out that he troubled Price with his pressure in the first minute or so.

It was also Price's 13th or 14th fight, AJ could be taking him in half that time, therefore I think it'd still test him a bit and show something.

No offence but I think he'd be a lousy opponent.........

40-21.....40 years old and looking for one last decent payday before jacking it.........Lost to Harrison, SKelton and the awful Helenius...stopped by Chagaev......Now he's even older..

As we've seen with Audley.. Prizefighter doesn't prove anything..

I think they are going to have to look at a younger guy with ambition.... before hopefully they match him with Price in a title warmup........

He's a hard guy to match............in fairness........After all he's a multi million dollar baby..

Skelton, Sprott types forget it........One last payday hunters.

Tom Dallas if he can avoid getting sparked early.

TopHat24/7 wrote:But people (not just Az) did point out that he troubled Price with his pressure in the first minute or so.

They were shouted down by the vast majority and it was declared that Chisora v Price would be an excersise in futility as Chis would be knocked out in a round or two.

We're a fickle bunch at times.

Anyway I actually think people are being impatient with AJ. He had a short amateur career and should be brought along slowly. He's still a novice. Let him learn in the gym and practice in the ring for a bit. He's young, he has much to learn, there's no rush. Sprott has a wealth of experience and he could show people weaknesses that shouldn't be made apparent this early.

As a fight fan I'm all for it, but in terms of correct pacing, I think it'S too soon. Appreciate I'm in the minority on this one.

I don't think anyone enjoys watching punchbags just take shots whilst giving nothing back....

Maybe he should stay in the gym and "learn" for the next six months and then fight a guy with a pulse....Instead of clogging up bills and having us have to listen to the worst commentator of alltime make out the beat down of a podgy loser is a Louis-esque performance..

I like the kid just have a feeling he's going to waste valuable time stalling and learning diddly.............Needs a top draw American trainer too.........Give him Roach he's worth the investment...

Kid could make Hearn tens of millions..........But he needs a fight.

He is a hard guy to match, but there must be a few tough journeymen out there who will go a few rounds with him. If I was matching him, I'd try a couple of those, then the sprotts, of this world and then look to move him up.

That said I guess with the heavy division the way it is, there's not the natural learning progression in terms of competition there used to be.  I'd be happy to see him with sprott or Skelton next. They're past it, but not clueless.

Zack Page...

As others have said it can be difficult with a guy like Joshua, remember there was a bit of an interview with one of his earlier opponents in Boxing News a while ago and he went through all the decent Euro level fighters he had fought. Most of these were on short notice and in most instances the guy had made it into the later rounds. Joshua put him away inside two, yet without knowing what the opponent had done he is a guy whose abilities we would almost certainly dismiss.

I can understand why people are wary of what happened to Price, but I don't think Sprott is as good or risky an opponent for Joshua as Thompson was for Price, personally. Certainly not as durable or crafty, anyway.

Skelton, well in that case maybe I'd hold fire on that one if I were Hearn for just another three fights or so, purely because Skelton, if he gets past the early onslaught, is such a horrible, dirty fighter in there that it might be best for Joshua to wait until he's got some extra rounds in the bank and encountered someone who can give him a run in the physicality stakes before taking him on. Joshua is still a bit wet behind the ears (he himself admits that) so there's still a chance that Skelton could make him look bad if they squared off now.

But I genuinely think that Joshua would be ready for Sprott now.

I think he'd splatter both of them now Chris, its just the relative degree of risk management involved. Sprott is generally competitive. Skelton if he doesn't get bombed out, will make it messy as always.

I think most of us are on the same page here. We want to see how his body builder's physique holds up in later rounds against a guy who is never going to beat him, before seeing him in the later rounds with someone who just might.

Gary Cornish and John McDermott would be good. Then Sexton, Sprott and on to Chisora.

The problem with 40 year old fighters is.......They know the career is coming to an end and their options are limited......So a nice payday without getting hurt against Joshua is right up their street........

They'll be looking for a place to lay down when the first bell rings..

Didn't Skelton get bombed out by Price?

Either way, they moved Price along fine. Skelton, Harrison, Sexton... He just got found out, nothing more than that really. Thompson wasn't too much too soon, he was the next logical step and if Price was good enough he'd have beaten him.

The same pace is fine if Joshua really is the next big thing.

Problem is monkey..........That it's all old stiffs being discussed............and it's all okay saying well he gave him a good few rounds but att he end of the day these guys know the clock is ticking and they want to make a few bucks and leave with their health in check.......

Just like the last guy who was a perennial loser..........

Rowley is right that it's hard to match him but 40 year old crud isn't the way..

Cornish is 17-0 but Joshua would be too strong for him. Good match.

You can only fight what is out there though and there really isn't that much. Sam Sexton and Michael Sprott look logical steps to take. After that there's Price, Chisora and you start look internationally. Kevin Johnson? Tony Thompson? Get past Thompson and you're looking at the likes of Helenius, Fury and Arreola.

It depends how much ambition these guys like Sprott and Skelton have. They are ancient journeymen doing the rounds for a few quid while they wait fo Prizefighter to come round again. If they come and have a real go then they serve a purpose. If they come to go a few rounds and cave in then its a waste of time. Match Joshua against someone of limited ability but plenty of ambition. The guy who fought Fury last wasnt too bad. He was pretty limited and could only fight for three rounds but he gave it a real bash.

He won't fight Chisora while he's working with Warren..

Never agree on terms.......