Who does Anthony Joshua fight next?

[Bard of Boxrec]

Yeah, I didn't even watch the last one. I'm of the same mind.

Didn't expect this from you, I thought you were capable of just switching off from the hype. Breazeale turned out to be a tough guy who took Joshua rounds and actually tried, definitely a fine opponent for a 16-0 guy or whatever he was at the time.

Yeah I'm sorry but I'm not sure Breazeale's effort would quite qualify as 'actually tried'. Tried what? Getting his in the face with Joshua's fist? All Breazeale proved in that fight is he has some mettle, and refused to go down. But he brought limited nothing to that fight.

The fights I would pay 18 pound to watch would be; Parker, Haye, Fury (H)....
Probably pay 9 pound for; Pulev, Chisora, Stiverne....
But the rest would have to be a Saturday fight night jobbie....

He was limited but full of heart and didn't quit, which is more than can be said for other opponents of Joshua. The problem is, everyone is going to look outmatched. Pulev isn't going to give him a good fight just because a terrible division has seen him wake up in the top 10 somehow.

[moogie101]

I don't really care I am bored stiff with Joshua. Somebody wake me up when / if he fights someone with a pulse. Until then I refuse to watch him and buy into all the bullshit hype.

Yeah, I didn't even watch the last one. I'm of the same mind.

Didn't expect this from you, I thought you were capable of just switching off from the hype. Breazeale turned out to be a tough guy who took Joshua rounds and actually tried, definitely a fine opponent for a 16-0 guy or whatever he was at the time.

Whilst I agree he was a good test for a 16-0 fighter & clearly came to fight & gave AJ a tougher test than expected, was he really deserving of a world title shot? Was he deserving of being the opposition in a PPV main event?

That's the problem people are starting to have with AJ. If this would have been billed as a decent test for him on Sky Sports whilst working towards a title shot it would have been perfect match making. But you chuck that world title & PPV main events in there & it just isn't enough anymore. The decision was made to fast track him & he's done well, but there has to be an improvement in opposition.

[Bard of Boxrec]

I don't see Joshua as the world champion at the moment and I don't think any serious boxing fan should either. For now, he is a belt holder, nothing more.

[Horse]

Didn't expect this from you, I thought you were capable of just switching off from the hype. Breazeale turned out to be a tough guy who took Joshua rounds and actually tried, definitely a fine opponent for a 16-0 guy or whatever he was at the time.

Well, I got a bit sick of the hype after the previous farce, so figured no way I'm paying 18 quid to watch another massacre. Although it went 7 rounds, sounds like it was very one-sided, and deffo not worth 18 quid of my money.

Would you shell out 18 quid if they announced Pulev? Pulev is better 'on paper' but will be wiped out a lot quicker, with that chin sticking in the air and the head movement of a deep-sea diver.

So Breazeale is a good PPV opponent, but Pulev isn't?

[moogie101]

I don't see Joshua as the world champion at the moment and I don't think any serious boxing fan should either. For now, he is a belt holder, nothing more.

He might not be THE World Champion, but he's still A World Champion. If he's wearing a belt & headlining PPV cards then it should be against decent opposition.

[Rob3_142]

Yeah, I didn't even watch the last one. I'm of the same mind.

Didn't expect this from you, I thought you were capable of just switching off from the hype. Breazeale turned out to be a tough guy who took Joshua rounds and actually tried, definitely a fine opponent for a 16-0 guy or whatever he was at the time.

Whilst I agree he was a good test for a 16-0 fighter & clearly came to fight & gave AJ a tougher test than expected, was he really deserving of a world title shot? Was he deserving of being the opposition in a PPV main event?

That's the problem people are starting to have with AJ. If this would have been billed as a decent test for him on Sky Sports whilst working towards a title shot it would have been perfect match making. But you chuck that world title & PPV main events in there & it just isn't enough anymore. The decision was made to fast track him & he's done well, but there has to be an improvement in opposition.

This is the problem I'm having. You can't throw PPV at every Joshua fight. The fight has to be PPV worthy, not just because it's Joshua. Unfortunately the general public is balls deep and the ones who are paying for the PPV. I personally will only buy the fights that I deem worthy (I bought the Martin fight thinking it might have been a more competitive than it was).

Unfortunately, the undercards have been pretty decent, so it's weighing up between the two.

[Bard of Boxrec]

Well, I got a bit sick of the hype after the previous farce, so figured no way I'm paying 18 quid to watch another massacre. Although it went 7 rounds, sounds like it was very one-sided, and deffo not worth 18 quid of my money.

Would you shell out 18 quid if they announced Pulev? Pulev is better 'on paper' but will be wiped out a lot quicker, with that chin sticking in the air and the head movement of a deep-sea diver.

So Breazeale is a good PPV opponent, but Pulev isn't?

it depends on what you get value from. I personally would just watch it in the pub and have a drink or two. If I was sat at home buying it I would probably want a longer fight yeah. But I know it means so much to you that Joshua beats a 'top 10 fighter' no matter how limited he is, so maybe that gives you more joy.

[Bard of Boxrec]

I don't see Joshua as the world champion at the moment and I don't think any serious boxing fan should either. For now, he is a belt holder, nothing more.

He might not be THE World Champion, but he's still A World Champion. If he's wearing a belt & headlining PPV cards then it should be against decent opposition.

I just ignore all the carnival surrounding ABC titles. There is only one world champ per division. Some divisions don't have a clear one. Fury is the champ at HW. This IBF title is for casual sports fans to lap up and a future bargaining tool. It's just business, entirely to be expected, and nothing to get upset about or not watch about in protest.

It doesn't bother me in this instance because the demand and money is there to see Joshua vs Fury and probably Joshua vs Wilder, and I think the big fights will thus get made. For the meantime everyone makes some money.

It's funny. You can guarantee all the moaning minnie brigade who are stamping their feet and crying and complaining about the opposition and the fact that Joshua is getting hyped (shocker, that one) will shut up when the big fights actually get made. It's so obvious they will get made it's painful, but this instant gratification thing on the part of some people is really unnecessary. It happens when every single prospect is coming up, and every single prospect eventually finds their place in the division.

[Stuffs]

I think it will be Pulev at the back end of this year, Parker at the start(ish) of next year, Fury or Wilder in the late-Summer 2017. I think he wins the first two of those with relative ease.

[Rob3_142]

Rumour has it that Stiverne is already in camp for the fight (he'd need it, he's badly out of shape!)

[keithmoonhangover]

That's more like it.

A new guy who has lost to Joshua vs An old guy who definitely would lose to Joshua

Joshua is still hugely unproven. He would not definitely beat Chisora.

May I please add some of my own.

[Bard of Boxrec]

Chisora did beat the great Malik Scott though

[keithmoonhangover]

Chisora did beat the great Malik Scott though

That is correct. Many I should change my mind. Let me think about it for a second. No.

[Horse]

They have to be trolls, right?

[asdfjkl]

Chisora did beat the great Malik Scott though

That is correct. Many I should change my mind. Let me think about it for a second. No.

The great diver? I can't take any Malik Scott fight serious since then.

[BitPlayer]

Seriously name one of AJ's previous opponents that's better than Chisora. You can't because there are none. I don't think it makes sense now because he's coming off a loss, and AJ is a "champion". But ignoring that farce of a belt, fighting Chisora would be a decent, especially since he's a bit of a name in his own right. Plus even if it isn't what it was he at least has proven toughness.

[Bard of Boxrec]

Chisora did beat the great Malik Scott though

That is correct. Many I should change my mind. Let me think about it for a second. No.

The great diver? I can't take any Malik Scott fight serious since then.

That's a TOP TEN HEAVYWEIGHT you are talking about there!

[asdfjkl]

That is correct. Many I should change my mind. Let me think about it for a second. No.

The great diver? I can't take any Malik Scott fight serious since then.

That's a TOP TEN HEAVYWEIGHT you are talking about there!

Thanks to cherrypicking inded. Remarkebly, I consider the current boxrec heavyweights ranks 20-30 to be better as the currect boxrec heavyweight ranks 10-20.

Very odd, but true.

[Wales]

I thought Stiverne was a done deal, and also a credible opponent.

Chisora would be an awful choice and hard sell, the guy is barely top 5 in his home city and has already lost comprehensively to Haye, Fury and more recently Pulev.

Stiverne a credible world level opponent, and good step up in class.

Am surprised they didn't move to get Parker sooner rather than later, looked very beatable last time out.

[Tuan_Jim]

Stiverne couldn't land a clean shot on Wilder, who has the physical coordination of a newborn giraffe.

This will be a brief & unmerciful massacre.

[Bricks]

I hope they don't roll out that pudding Chisora. Because Joshua should be well well well past that type of "interesting British fight" level now.

Nobody gives a flying eff about his pantomime weigh-ins anymore.

He's dined out on pressing forward against and old, shopworn Vitali Klitschko for way too long in my opinion.

It's all about the new blood like Parker etc in my opinion. The boxing fans are bored shitless of the old heavyweights still moping about for a cheque.

Chisora would be Joshua's best opponent to date by far.

Joshua is in no way past fighting Chisora.

I agree chisora may be sniffing around for paydays and had his face busted by fury but he is still way waaaay harder and better than anyone Joshua has fought yet. Joshuas true power and development will be seen with a chisora as dereks chin, stamina and strength will test him.

Its good Joshua fights regular but he needs to step his level up and at this stage he needs another 6 fights over the course of a year to be ready for unifications. The odd thing is wilder and haye too could do with 2-3 more fights, and fury and wlad are the ones ready right now

[Stuarty]

If glitter balls Eddie tries to serve up Chisora as AJs next opponent and manages to do the whole promotion with a straight face then he's truly the spawn of satan.

[BitPlayer]

If glitter balls Eddie tries to serve up Chisora as AJs next opponent and manages to do the whole promotion with a straight face then he's truly the spawn of satan.

If they can do it with Breazeale, Chisora is no issue.

[Stuarty]

If glitter balls Eddie tries to serve up Chisora as AJs next opponent and manages to do the whole promotion with a straight face then he's truly the spawn of satan.

If they can do it with Breazeale, Chisora is no issue.

Breazeale was undefeated and a bit of an unknown quantity over here so it made the fight an easier sell. Most folk know DelBoy. I wouldn't actually say Chisora is a lot worse than anyone AJ has faced but he's looked past his best for a while and he should be moving forward not backwards. I'd rather Pulev was next up. He's a credible opponent IMO.

[Horse]

I'd rather Pulev was next up. He's a credible opponent IMO.

Of course he is credible.

Only loons like Riddick Blowe would say otherwise.