Anthony Joshua's Next Fights?

[Bard of Boxrec]

Every single time an Olympian heavyweight prospect sets out on their way, someone criticises the matchmaking, seemingly forgetting about everyone else who went before. Even when the matchmaking is good, like with Joshua.

[Tarkus]

What on earth was Eddie Hearn thinking when he made this match-up?

That he has to somehow sell that atrocious card that he sacrificed for PPV money.

Johnson is a good step up. He is the best guy Joshua fought until now, and I believe in gradual increase of the level of opposition. He will stop him though, I have no doubt.

[cold187]

By the time both of these fights have taken place, Joshua will have been a pro boxer for 18 months and 13 fights and he will still be 25 years old.

By comparison, after 18 months as a pro boxer, Wilder had 10 fights and was 24 years old. Johnson is better than every single Wilder opponent except Stiverne.

Mike Tyson's 13th opponent was 15-7-2 Conroy Nelson.

I agree that Love is a weak opponent at this stage, but he seems fairly durable and has never been blown out early. Johnson is a durable guy, a former world title contender, has never been stopped and was recently competitive with Manuel Charr and was arguably robbed against Christian Hammer. If Joshua stops him at all, it is impressive. If he takes Joshua the distance, or even late into the fight, it is valuable experience for him. I think Johnson is an excellent choice of opponent for this stage of his career.

pulev was ready for wlad after 18 fights

[cold187]

What on earth was Eddie Hearn thinking when he made this match-up?

That he has to somehow sell that atrocious card that he sacrificed for PPV money.

Johnson is a good step up. He is the best guy Joshua fought until now, and I believe in gradual increase of the level of opposition. He will stop him though, I have no doubt.

johnson lost 4 of lasy 5 fight
lost to charr - who lost to duhaupas
lost to hammer - who lost to fury
lost to chisora every round

but the spin eddie trying to do is 1st guy to stop johnson. BS, y not just fight oliver mccall and be the 1st guy to stop him, or

[Tarkus]

Johnson even with those losses is the best Joshua opponent so far. Also argument can be and was made that in those fights Johnson was not prepared, taking those fight on a short notice. This time he had plenty of time to prepare and won't have those excuses.

[Cutman Scabbers]

• The skinny yet flabby Brazilian

My favorite line

[keirw]

Highly rated American prospect Charles Martin fought Love in his 20th fight (and is fighting Tom Dallas next, for some reason).
Also Kevin Johnson was Tyson Fury's 20th opponent (in an eliminator, no less).

[funso banjo baby]

zumbano Love is certainly durable. he dsnt get stopped early. Briggs went the distance, Molina broke him down in the last round of an 8. martin stopped him in the 10th.

so any early big ko by joshua would be impressive

[Gnome]

zumbano Love is certainly durable. he dsnt get stopped early. Briggs went the distance, Molina broke him down in the last round of an 8. martin stopped him in the 10th.

so any early big ko by joshua would be impressive

I agree. It's a decent match-up. Joshua needs rounds.

[jujigatame]

When he fought Bakhtov it seemed like he was stepping things up but then it was time for another round of no-hopers. I dunno why people are excited about Love, he is going to be a punching bag. KJ will probably get on his bike while occasionally flicking out a jab, basically just trying to survive the distance.

Chagaev, Price, Hammer, Boytsov, Ustinov, one of these guys should be next.

[Deadendgeneration]

No problem with these fights. 2 fights in 3 weeks, both of which should last a few rounds is fine. Exactly what AJ needs. Hopefully Kingpin doesn't end up on the receiving end of a ridiculous British stoppage, he should be able to take it the distance.

[jezzamundo]

By the time both of these fights have taken place, Joshua will have been a pro boxer for 18 months and 13 fights and he will still be 25 years old.

By comparison, after 18 months as a pro boxer, Wilder had 10 fights and was 24 years old. Johnson is better than every single Wilder opponent except Stiverne.

Mike Tyson's 13th opponent was 15-7-2 Conroy Nelson.

I agree that Love is a weak opponent at this stage, but he seems fairly durable and has never been blown out early. Johnson is a durable guy, a former world title contender, has never been stopped and was recently competitive with Manuel Charr and was arguably robbed against Christian Hammer. If Joshua stops him at all, it is impressive. If he takes Joshua the distance, or even late into the fight, it is valuable experience for him. I think Johnson is an excellent choice of opponent for this stage of his career.

pulev was ready for wlad after 18 fights

My examples were about 18 months as a pro, not 18 fights. Joshua has had only 11 fights and may well be ready for a world title fight in seven fights.

[brilo33]

, needs some one who will tag him

[Boxing Writer]

Lennox Lewis' opposition in his first 11 fights wasn't any better than Joshua's one. In fact, I'd say it was worse (add here that Lennox had much more fights in the amateurs than Joshua).

Let’s put a different spin on things and compare the opposition that Anthony Joshua & Lennox Lewis faced for the equivalent timeframe of their careers, shall we? :??

By the time Anthony Joshua enters the ring for his 12th professional bout, 567 days would have passed.

So if we review the opponents that Lennox Lewis fought in the first 567 days of his career:
• Scored a lop-sided points victory over Ossie Ocasio (a man that had: competed in seven world title fights; challenged Larry Holmes for his WBC World heavyweight title; held the WBA world cruiserweight belt for almost two years; challenged Evander Holyfield for his undisputed 190lbs crown; and faced several world champions).
• Captured the European heavyweight title from Jean-Maurice Chanet (a belt the Frenchman won from the excellent Derek Williams).
• Lennox had already signed-up to fight the unbeaten world-rated knockout artist and British Champion, Gary Mason, who Lewis eventually defeated after being a pro for 617 days.

Over roughly the same period of time (601 days), the best victory on Anthony Joshua’s record would have come against Kevin Johnson (a man that has tasted defeat in four of his last five contests and [by the 30th May] has only scored one sole victory in almost three years).

And over the same timeframe Lewis had competed in two more fights than AJ against statistically more experienced and more accomplished opponents... and captured the British and European titles.

Don't forget that Lennox has much longer amateur career than Joshua, had much more amateurs fights and went 2 full Olympic cycles. He was incomparably more experienced before the start of pro career.

[Tarkus]

Don't forget that Lennox has much longer amateur career than Joshua, had much more amateurs fights and went 2 full Olympic cycles. He was incomparably more experienced before the start of pro career.

Yep, he needs to gain experience. Plus Joshua suffered injuries that lost him some time. I dont know if Lennox had those issues.