Anthony Joshua......a bit too much hype.

[boxingknockout]

In today's world of hype, Twitter, Facebook, hyperbole.... it's expected that Joshua would be hyped. After the Wlad win, which was one of the best heavyweight fights ever, it may be somewhat justified, given the weak state of the heavyweight division.

Who is there?
- Fury is clearly the big one, but only if Fury can get into condition.
- Povetkin? A threat when on PEDs, but a very dodgy history so prob will be ostracized.
- Wilder? Any man with a big punch is that. But anyone who cannot KO Zelenoff clean has a question mark! But seriously it's a decent fight but can't see Deontay winning.
- Parker? No chance, sorry.
- Wlad again? Pointless, Wlad will not be able to repeat that fitness, intensity an performance.
- Haye? Injury problems are serious, hasn't had a decent win for years... one decent win would make the match viable but at this stage I think Haye' s body is too battered to make a serious challenge.

Joshua will be on top for years. There's just no competition.

[boxingknockout]

In today's world of hype, Twitter, Facebook, hyperbole.... it's expected that Joshua would be hyped. After the Wlad win, which was one of the best heavyweight fights ever, it may be somewhat justified, given the weak state of the heavyweight division.

Who is there?
- Fury is clearly the big one, but only if Fury can get into condition.
- Povetkin? A threat when on PEDs, but a very dodgy history so prob will be ostracized.
- Wilder? Any man with a big punch is that. But anyone who cannot KO Zelenoff clean has a question mark! But seriously it's a decent fight but can't see Deontay winning.
- Parker? No chance, sorry.
- Wlad again? Pointless, Wlad will not be able to repeat that fitness, intensity an performance.
- Haye? Injury problems are serious, hasn't had a decent win for years... one decent win would make the match viable but at this stage I think Haye' s body is too battered to make a serious challenge.

Joshua will be on top for years. There's just no competition.

although a mandatory against Guillermo Jones might be dangerous

[magnus]

Tabloid journalists somewhat over-estimating the significance of a sporting success involving a Brit?

Never did I think to live in such times.

[ewenhay]

The answer lies somewhere in the middle. Exactly where is still to be written and will depend on the calibre of opposition he beats. Klitschko is a good scalp even at 41 but he will need to unify the division and beat all the top heavyweights of his era before he can be judged against his predecessors.

Mike Tyson had a great start to his career and was touted as the best ever. He'd be lucky to make most people's top 15 now.

[youngrell]

Prior to Saturday night there absolutely was way too much hype surrounding Joshua, as we had yet to see him tested properly to be declaring him the best at anything.

However, Saturday night he answered pretty much every question that boxing fans had about him and has proven he deserves the hype after all.

Bizarre to come up with this now after his performance at the weekend.

Sorry mate I disagree with you there. He deserves massive credit for the heart and desire he showed but I don't think he deserves the hype. He got out boxed for large parts of the fight. He gassed badly and was lucky that Wlad didn't put it on him a bit more otherwise it could of been a different story, he didn't and Joshua came out the other side fair play to him.with The hype he's been getting he should of won Saturday in good fashion and people would be comparing him with great heavyweights instead of saying who wins out of him and Deontay Wilder

You're welcome to your opinion mate, and I agree that Wlad let him off the hook (even admitted this himself in the post fight presser).

But it was still a very impressive victory, to come back after looking dead on his feet to force a very good finish. It was a fantastic fight.

[crusader]

He's showing very good potential, and I think he's the top HW with Fury gone, Wlad old, and bum squad not stepping up, but I did expected him to win much more easily. He was not far off being stopped and was down on my card when it ended late, and if the 41-year-old had been just a bit fresher and sharper I think we'd have a different winner.

He's still a very promising work in progress, rather than already being the great HW he may well become.

[Quix]

Thank goddess for a sensible original post with some perspective.
The adulation from supposed expert mainstream writers has been hyperbolic.
Ron Lewis listing the fight as comparable to all time 5 best HW bouts. It's absurd.
HW division seems to hold some mesmeric appeal for the public. I have tended to view it as a circus sideshow in comparison to the rest of boxing for the last 10 years. A big blob like Ruiz Jr is a top 10 fighter for gods sake.
It's all too much.

I totally agree with this. The reporting has been hyperbolic and Jeff powell said something similar to Ron Lewis in putting the fight in his all time top five. Good grief, he must be suffering from amnesia. Some of the comments have almost been laughable, like the comment by Martin Samuel, that he could be knighted now for what he has done for boxing. I also agree that in many respects the heavyweight division has been somewhat of a freak show since the likes of Holyfield and Lewis retired, though it has to be said that some fights in that era bordered on a circus act with the ear biting and the bloke who landed in the ring on a parachute, which i think was the Holyfield - Bowe fight. But yes, the quality these days is pretty bad. You only had to look at Joshua's opponent before Klitschko to see that. I'm sure the hyberbole is about what it's always about and that is money. The comments have been embarrassing to read at times.

[Quix]

He had a few amature fights and won a Olympic Gold, he's not even had 20 pro fights and won two world titles and beaten an ATG who turned up to really win and he's KO'd everyone put in front of him. Not sure what else he's expected to do. He deserves huge credit after the other night, he answered a lot of questions.

No one is saying that he doesn't deserve praise, but it has to be balanced and put into perspective. Yes, he has won two world titles, but in an extremely weak division. I wouldn't say Klitschko is an all time great. For the best part of his career he fought virtual stiffs and i can't remember a really great fighter who he beat that was in his prime. Klitschko was a very good fighter, but that's it for me. Yes, he beat a determined Klitschko, but he was 41 years of age, so was nowhere near his prime, whether he looked it or not. You can only fight what is put in front of you and Joshua deserves credit for what he has done so far, but not the hyperbolic praise which has been coming out of the main stream, claiming him to be one of the best heavyweights of all time. Even Joshua disagrees with that. There has been no balanced or objective analysis after this fight, just over the top praise and i think it's mainly down to generate finances and a fanbase.

[Quix]

Social media creates legends and heroes out of people that most of us would never have heard of pre-internet times. I often shake my head at some of the halfwits on trash TV that are then described as 'celebs' and treated as such. That's the way it works now.

I would agree that AJ is being held in almost godlike status now, as others have said the HW division is really weak, the fact Charles Martin can claim he was the IBF world champ says it all. Saying that none of this is AJ's fault, he is a fantastic role model and appears so far to be doing and saying all the right things. He's a Olympic gold medalist and unbeaten world champ and he has only been boxing 10 years. That still requires talent and dedication. Good on him thats all I can say, he will bring new interest to the sport and inspire others to follow in his steps, thats how new talents are often found.

That's why i said that the criticism wasn't aimed at Joshua himself, but the surrounding media presence. As you say, he is a decent guy who is talented and has dedicated himself and has achieved things, but not to the standard or level that is made out by the main stream media. It is to be hoped that two or three genuine talents can be found to give rise to some great rivalries for Joshua in the future.

[Quix]

Ron Lewis listing the fight as comparable to all time 5 best HW bouts. It's absurd.

What is "absurd" about comparing Joshua v Wlad to the "all time 5 best HW bouts?"

Can you name five heavy weight championship fights that you have seen that were better?

This fight and these fighters deserve all the hype that they have received for this game changing event for boxing. If anything has been over hyped it is Fury v Wlad which was absolutely horrid for promoting the sport. On top of that the worship of a person who has made a mockery of himself and the heavy weight championship itself is what is 100% absurd.

The two fights with Ali and Frazier and the Foreman vs Ali fight. You could also say Foreman vs Lyle, Holmes vs Norton, Tyson vs Douglas, Holyfield vs Tyson (1), Lewis vs Tyson, the list goes on and that's not even considering the likes of Marciano, Liston, Dempsey etc. So, no the Klitschko vs Joshua fight comes nowhere near the top five and if you think it is, then you haven't seen many great heavyweight title fights. A great heavyweight title fights is also about two recognized quality fighters, fighting each other in their primes. So a virtual novice of 19 fights who pre Klitschko had fought nobody of any note and against an aging 41 year ex and inactive world champion doesn't square it. The hype was and is over the top and for the reasons i layed out in my original post. Boxing wise, they haven't taken anything to a new level, it was factors like how it was marketed and tickets sold that changed the scene, not the fight itself.

[PredatorHayds]

I see Usyk as the danger man.

He will move up in the next couple of years and has the skill, footwork and bulk to cause anyone problems.

He's the one name you see no-one mentioning.

I also expect his US status to improve over the next couple of years on the Ukraine themed stateside shows with LOMA.

[Quix]

Of course he's over hyped its called marketing. His team are doing their upmost to secure AJ's long term future and doing a great job, but while AJ is over hyped hes not doing bad for a 19 fight novice to beat a 65 fight ex world champ with 19 title defences.

IMO the hype is working.

I would prefer to see journalists call it as it is, ie, a novice fighter who is talented and has done well to gain a world title in a short spell of time, albeit in a very weak division. If Joshua is the business and the heavyweight division has sufficient quality, he will make loads of money anyway, without all the hype which has been slightly embarrassing on the part of the Journalists since Saturday.

This day and age and especially with the weakness of the division do you think that most boxers these days are in it for the money or for the guts and glory, blood sweat and tears? I personally think there will be a small number of top rated boxers and not only boxing but other sports too where money is big that top quality sports persons are in their chosen sports not for the blood and guts, but purely to make as much money is a short space of time possible. While their profile is big everyone wants to know and thats where the cash cow is.

Sports stars come and go in a short space of time, possible 10 years max their potential is where they can makae a huge amount of money. The working man on the street has to keep up his profile for 40 or more years to earn enough to keep his family afloat and get a holiday a year.

AJ was lucky enough to win a gold medal, have a great body and made to be a likeable person, the cash register was kerchinging from the olympic games and has been bursting ever since. Lets see what is money making potential is in another 10 years time now he is at his peak of financial gain.

If you are good at something cash in asap, people are fickle and someone is aruond the corner to take over when AJ has gone.

I think its always been about the money in any era and the trinkets and titles that come along with it are an added bonus. I think in all sports, if you are great, then the money comes anyway, unless it's a sport that isn't particularly popular. Joshua is good and has talent, but is nowhere near the level that the hyperbole suggests. So its all about the marketing which has increased its capacity to influence people with the internet and social media. Obviously, they want to secure his future now, before any calamity may happen to reduce his future earnings, ie, a string of losses. It's just that reading some of the comments from supposed objective journalists has been extremely irritating for someone who has at least some knowledge of the sport and its fighters and history.

[Quix]

Prior to Saturday night there absolutely was way too much hype surrounding Joshua, as we had yet to see him tested properly to be declaring him the best at anything.

However, Saturday night he answered pretty much every question that boxing fans had about him and has proven he deserves the hype after all.

Bizarre to come up with this now after his performance at the weekend.

After what i said in the original OP giving my reasons why i think he is being over hyped by the media, i find it very odd that you think otherwise. How is it bizarre ? It's just a rational, sensible and balanced opinion with regards to Joshua, his career to date and the fight and opponent he faced in Klitschko. I find your comments bizarre to be honest that you can't see the hype is unjustified. Give Joshua praise and respect, yes, but not what's been written since the fight.

[Quix]

Prior to Saturday night there absolutely was way too much hype surrounding Joshua, as we had yet to see him tested properly to be declaring him the best at anything.

However, Saturday night he answered pretty much every question that boxing fans had about him and has proven he deserves the hype after all.

Bizarre to come up with this now after his performance at the weekend.

Sorry mate I disagree with you there. He deserves massive credit for the heart and desire he showed but I don't think he deserves the hype. He got out boxed for large parts of the fight. He gassed badly and was lucky that Wlad didn't put it on him a bit more otherwise it could of been a different story, he didn't and Joshua came out the other side fair play to him.with The hype he's been getting he should of won Saturday in good fashion and people would be comparing him with great heavyweights instead of saying who wins out of him and Deontay Wilder

Agree mate.

[Quix]

In today's world of hype, Twitter, Facebook, hyperbole.... it's expected that Joshua would be hyped. After the Wlad win, which was one of the best heavyweight fights ever, it may be somewhat justified, given the weak state of the heavyweight division.

Who is there?
- Fury is clearly the big one, but only if Fury can get into condition.
- Povetkin? A threat when on PEDs, but a very dodgy history so prob will be ostracized.
- Wilder? Any man with a big punch is that. But anyone who cannot KO Zelenoff clean has a question mark! But seriously it's a decent fight but can't see Deontay winning.
- Parker? No chance, sorry.
- Wlad again? Pointless, Wlad will not be able to repeat that fitness, intensity an performance.
- Haye? Injury problems are serious, hasn't had a decent win for years... one decent win would make the match viable but at this stage I think Haye' s body is too battered to make a serious challenge.

Joshua will be on top for years. There's just no competition.

It's a pathetically weak division and that detracts something from Joshua, but that's not his fault. There is nobody and the fact that people are saying that Fury vs Joshua would be hard to call is saying a lot, about heavyweight boxing and perhaps Joshua himself. He needs two or three really good fighters to strike up rivalries with, not the dross that is about currently.

[Quix]

Tabloid journalists somewhat over-estimating the significance of a sporting success involving a Brit?

Never did I think to live in such times.

They have always done it, but in the past it was relatively measured, but today any wisdom and objectivity gets thrown out of the window in order to collectively praise to the point of absurdity.

[Quix]

The answer lies somewhere in the middle. Exactly where is still to be written and will depend on the calibre of opposition he beats. Klitschko is a good scalp even at 41 but he will need to unify the division and beat all the top heavyweights of his era before he can be judged against his predecessors.

Mike Tyson had a great start to his career and was touted as the best ever. He'd be lucky to make most people's top 15 now.

I've said that he needs two or three real quality and noted opponents to have rivalries with, as did Ali, Frazier and Forman, Lewis, Holyfield and Bowe. You only get judged on the quality that you fight. Tyson's main weapon was his speed on punch, amount of punches thrown in combinations and low gravity, plus he hit hard, but that came from the speed. When he was younger he was fighting fairly average fighters like Biggs, Thomas, Page, Bruno and getting plenty of knock outs. He has good punch variation, but was limited as an all round fighter in terms of defence and movement. His default setting was to march forward. One he aged and came out of prison, changed trainers etc, he was't the same fighter. The invincibility had evaporated after the Douglas fight and he slowed down a lot, making his mains weapon of speed and punch volume less powerful. He faced fighters that were more rounded in terms of defence and attack like Holyfield and Lewis and so could last a certain length of time, but ultimately could never beat them. He was certainly one of the most exciting heavyweight fighters ive ever seen, particularly in his early years.

[Quix]

He's showing very good potential, and I think he's the top HW with Fury gone, Wlad old, and bum squad not stepping up, but I did expected him to win much more easily. He was not far off being stopped and was down on my card when it ended late, and if the 41-year-old had been just a bit fresher and sharper I think we'd have a different winner.

He's still a very promising work in progress, rather than already being the great HW he may well become.

I agree mate.

[Dan Dares]

Joshua won't be happy with that performance at all. He wanted to dominate Wlad, and it didn't happen. That's why he'll be champion for a long time. Only fighter that maybe beats him right now is Klitschko, and if I was McCracken, I'd try and swerve that one for as long as possible. Still a 50-50 for me.

His defence was piss poor, particularly when he was gassed, he just stood there taking shots. It hasn't really improved since the Cammarelle fight. Not a good look. But the things that Joshua does very well indeed are pretty much all he needs. He cuts the ring off very quickly, he's got a very accurate right hand at range (although it wasn't much use against Wlad) and his 30 second barrage of monstrously powerful shots is enough to frighten most heavyweights to the canvas after they feel the first one land.

The Fury fight is interesting, but I feel Fury's shots would bounce off in the process of him being bludgeoned to the floor within 5 ugly rounds. It's a cash out fight for Fury. He probably won't even get properly fit for it. Especially training with Billy Joe Saunders.

[youngrell]

Prior to Saturday night there absolutely was way too much hype surrounding Joshua, as we had yet to see him tested properly to be declaring him the best at anything.

However, Saturday night he answered pretty much every question that boxing fans had about him and has proven he deserves the hype after all.

Bizarre to come up with this now after his performance at the weekend.

After what i said in the original OP giving my reasons why i think he is being over hyped by the media, i find it very odd that you think otherwise. How is it bizarre ? It's just a rational, sensible and balanced opinion with regards to Joshua, his career to date and the fight and opponent he faced in Klitschko. I find your comments bizarre to be honest that you can't see the hype is unjustified. Give Joshua praise and respect, yes, but not what's been written since the fight.

Like I said, prior to beating the guy who has dominated the division for the past 10 years, I agree that Joshua was being overhyped as he hadn't fought anyone of note.

It's strange timing to now claim he's overhyped after his only legit, world level win, and one in which he came through adversity to win.

Note: I do not read what the media says so haven't seen all the hype you are talking about, I take a fighters standing from what I see with my own eyes and the opinions of other boxing fans who do not have an agenda.

[forcefraser]

I wonder what odds you could get on big stiff Pricey wrangling his way into a title fight with Aj and knocking him clean out.

[smiling assassin]

I wonder what odds you could get on big stiff Pricey wrangling his way into a title fight with Aj and knocking him clean out.

I'm not fully sold on AJ yet but I'd won't at least 500-1 on the big stiff plumber from Liverpool getting himself into the frame to face Joshua and then knock him out. Haha he would need to win at least 2-3 fights against recognised opposition before he would even be in the frame and then a fight with AJ, that's roughly 4 fights for him to have without getting sparked. Fvck it I would want 1000-1 to even give the bookies a pound

[lillywhite14]

Make that 10,000-1!

Even thats slim

[jamesmcdonnell]

Prior to Saturday night there absolutely was way too much hype surrounding Joshua, as we had yet to see him tested properly to be declaring him the best at anything.

However, Saturday night he answered pretty much every question that boxing fans had about him and has proven he deserves the hype after all.

Bizarre to come up with this now after his performance at the weekend.

After what i said in the original OP giving my reasons why i think he is being over hyped by the media, i find it very odd that you think otherwise. How is it bizarre ? It's just a rational, sensible and balanced opinion with regards to Joshua, his career to date and the fight and opponent he faced in Klitschko. I find your comments bizarre to be honest that you can't see the hype is unjustified. Give Joshua praise and respect, yes, but not what's been written since the fight.

Like I said, prior to beating the guy who has dominated the division for the past 10 years, I agree that Joshua was being overhyped as he hadn't fought anyone of note.

It's strange timing to now claim he's overhyped after his only legit, world level win, and one in which he came through adversity to win.

Note: I do not read what the media says so haven't seen all the hype you are talking about, I take a fighters standing from what I see with my own eyes and the opinions of other boxing fans who do not have an agenda.

I'd say we need to temper the hype, the only thing in AJ's favour is, there's very little out there to beat right now. Ortiz is probably the only heavy I could see giving him trouble, and Ortiz is looking like he's running out of steam.

[Tanzio]

Ron Lewis listing the fight as comparable to all time 5 best HW bouts. It's absurd.

What is "absurd" about comparing Joshua v Wlad to the "all time 5 best HW bouts?"

Can you name five heavy weight championship fights that you have seen that were better?

This fight and these fighters deserve all the hype that they have received for this game changing event for boxing. If anything has been over hyped it is Fury v Wlad which was absolutely horrid for promoting the sport. On top of that the worship of a person who has made a mockery of himself and the heavy weight championship itself is what is 100% absurd.

The two fights with Ali and Frazier and the Foreman vs Ali fight. You could also say Foreman vs Lyle, Holmes vs Norton, Tyson vs Douglas, Holyfield vs Tyson (1), Lewis vs Tyson, the list goes on and that's not even considering the likes of Marciano, Liston, Dempsey etc. So, no the Klitschko vs Joshua fight comes nowhere near the top five and if you think it is, then you haven't seen many great heavyweight title fights. A great heavyweight title fights is also about two recognized quality fighters, fighting each other in their primes. So a virtual novice of 19 fights who pre Klitschko had fought nobody of any note and against an aging 41 year ex and inactive world champion doesn't square it. The hype was and is over the top and for the reasons i layed out in my original post. Boxing wise, they haven't taken anything to a new level, it was factors like how it was marketed and tickets sold that changed the scene, not the fight itself.

"You could also say" whatever you want to pull out of your ass. The fact is that this fight is comparable to any of them. That does not mean that it is better than all of those fights but it is comparable to every single one of them.

It was a great heavy weight fight.