James Toney To Joshua: Put on Big-Boy Pants, Come Fight in U.S.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Former three division world champion James Toney has pressed on IBF, IBO, WBA heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (20-0, 20 KOs) to man up and travel over to the United States to test his skills.

Joshua is very interested in fighting in the United States, but admits it's a tough sell because of his growing superstar popularity in the UK.

Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn, is on board with is fighter. He says it's tough to bring Joshua to an arena in the U.S. where only 10,000 fans might fill an arena - when they can easily draw an entire stadium full of fans.



"Why doesn't he come over to the States? Is everybody scared?" Toney told Toe 2 Toe podcast.

"Come to the United States to see if you're a great fighter or not, because the US has got the best. The best has got to fight the best. Boxing is in the United States, not the UK, so if you want to be known for your real-boy skills, you have to come to the US.

"I've gone to Italy, Japan, I've been everywhere, all you have to do is put your big-boy pants on and come to the United States and get your ass whooped or you will smash him. Either."

At the moment, the biggest fight for Joshua is a unification with WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder.

Wilder would like to fight Joshua on U.S. soil.

Toney, who sparred with Wilder in the past, views the contest with Joshua as a 50-50 fight where the winner will be the boxer who lands that first big shot.

"I met Joshua when he was 2-0 and back then I said to him 'you're going to be a world champion' and to this day, he is," Toney said.

"I've had a few rounds with Deontay Wilder, and he wasn't great, but to me, it's not a love-hate situation.

"Who wins? It could be Wilder or Joshua. It's a 50-50, whoever lands the first meaningful one, wins."

[greg]

..I agree that at some point Joshua should start travelling, doesn't have to be the States though..Europe is big enough, Klitschkos proved you can travel, stay in Europe and still be recognised as the best..

[BitPlayer]

Oh dear. Yes Joshua should travel, no it shouldn't be a 50 year old former middleweight.

[Enlightened-One]

Anthony Joshua should only consider competing abroad for financial reasons alone.

He may consider engaging in a couple of one-off type bouts on US soil if there is 100% commitment from Matchroom (and inevitably HBO) to build his brand in that territory, because the long term monetary rewards received for headlining PPV events in America far outweigh the equivalent sums he’d command in his own country.

Otherwise, the Brit should not sacrifice home advantage and take a pay cut in order to satisfy the yearnings of commercially naïve casual fight fans.

AJ would inevitably be considered the A-side against any of the current big name heavyweights. And the most financially lucrative opponents for Anthony Joshua at the moment are mainly British (Dillian Whyte, Tyson Fury, David Haye, Tony Bellew etc.).

Whilst the hard-core boxing aficionados obviously prefer the Brit to face Joseph Parker and Deontay Wilder, they’re asking for unrealistic paydays that clearly don’t reflect their commercial worth.

As per every other professional boxer competing today, Anthony Joshua is known as a “PRIZEfighter”, not a “PRIDEfighter”, which means that he should be compelled to seek the biggest purses available and to avoid taking significant compromises with his paydays in order to satisfy the unreasonable financial demands of his undeserving opponents.

[boxing_rocks]

Joshua should travel and earn less money? What a bunch of crap.

[lazboy]

No wonder Toneys never been knocked out, look at that size of that mellow, break your fist on that.

[jamamb]

ya he should go to the us so he can fight in front of a few thousand ppl and maybe get watched by 400k on tv.sure beats the shitty numbers hes doing in the uk. and of course all the top hws today are american right.

[TooMuch]

Toney vs Fury right now. Come on, I would watch. Maximum weight in a ring since Valuev/McCline.

[littlepug]

The U.S isn't a powerhouse in the sport anymore, those days are long gone

[jamamb]

in terms of talent their still one of the best, but the boxing market sure dont seem as hot as it once was in america. when ppl say boxing is fading they should specify in us

[danconnollyeire]

AJ makes less than 50% of money in the US he would back home

[Nightmare Roy]

Yeah go to the US, give up 70,000 seater arenas and U.K. prime time PPV's of over 1m.

[gilgamesh]

The U.S isn't a powerhouse in the sport anymore, those days are long gone

Yep it's obvious. I guess some fighters just can't grasp that. It can always come back into popularity. It has before, it will again, but right now is not one of the "Golden" periods of Boxing in the U.S.

[Wales]

He must travel to prove himself. Just like Marciano, Joe Louis, Jones Jnr, Mayweather and and many more did

Toney never left US until he became a sideshow

[Enlightened-One]

He must travel to prove himself. Just like Marciano, Joe Louis, Jones Jnr, Mayweather and and many more did

Toney never left US until he became a sideshow

I hope you’re being sarcastic?

Rocky Marciano, Joe Louis and Floyd Mayweather Jr. only ever competed on American shores as professionals, so they never ventured away from their “back garden”.

Roy Jones Jr. first competed in his first fight in a foreign country in his 60th bout, which was when he was very far removed from his prime. He was already considered a dead-cert first-ballot Hall-of-Famer by then.

[keirw]

There is still money in the US market, just look at the numbers Canelo and Mayweather can command.

But unfortunately that doesn't translate to heavyweight boxing these days. If it did, Wilder's team would be making Joshua offers, rather than calling him out and waiting for Hearn to make them the offer.

The biggest payday Joshua would get, outside the UK, would probably be Povetkin in Russia.

Still, I'm sure Joshua would like to fight at legendary venues, like the MGM or MSG, but only if the fight is on HBO or Showtime PPV, otherwise he would be taking a sizeable pay cut.

[Enlightened-One]

There is still money in the US market, just look at the numbers Canelo and Mayweather can command.

But unfortunately that doesn't translate to heavyweight boxing these days. If it did, Wilder's team would be making Joshua offers, rather than calling him out and waiting for Hearn to make them the offer.

The biggest payday Joshua would get, outside the UK, would probably be Povetkin in Russia.

Still, I'm sure Joshua would like to fight at legendary venues, like the MGM or MSG, but only if the fight is on HBO or Showtime PPV, otherwise he would be taking a sizeable pay cut.

I have to agree with pretty much everything you've written.

I do feel that part of the reason why HBO decided to engage in a partnership with Matchroom, was due to Eddie Hearn having AJ in his stable.

So perhaps there is a long-term business plan for Anthony Joshua to make a name for himself in the US?

A million PPV buys in the US would net the Brit a payday that would be three times the amount he'd receive from the equivalent buys in the UK.

So there's potential for both Matchroom and Joshua to earn a lot of money if they can successfully build a fan-base on American shores.

I do feel that AJ's popularity has peaked in the UK and that he cannot generate bigger gate receipts and better PPV buys, which means it's time for Team Joshua to try to exploit the opportunities provided by the untapped US market.

[jamesmcdonnell]

It's a tricky one. The yanks rarely get behind one who isn't their own, wilders not a draw, so hard to make a fight as big an earner as joshua is in his home town. They need a dance partner state side.

[Ruthless-RKO]

It's a tricky one. The yanks rarely get behind one who isn't their own, wilders not a draw, so hard to make a fight as big an earner as joshua is in his home town. They need a dance partner state side.

Lennox Lewis did okay.. but only achieved over 1 million buys when he fough Holyfield and Tyson. 2 of the biggest names in HW division in US at the time.. his other fights usually generated around 300k-500k on HBO ppv

[davie]

Come to the United States to see if you're a great fighter or not,

Because you can't be a great fighter anywhere else, this makes no sense

because the US has got the best.

No it hasn't

The best has got to fight the best.

True

Boxing is in the United States, not the UK,

What?
He fills 90,000 national stadiums for voluntary defences and has been a ppv star since he was fighting at British level.

so if you want to be known for your real-boy skills, you have to come to the US.

No you don't

what a lot of utter drivel James

I'd like to see AJ travel at some point. But for now it's a difficult one to agree to when every incentive is to be in the UK.
Home fighter
Passionate and noisy backing
Huge crowds,
Big PPV numbers

The only one that makes any sense to travel would be for Wilder but even then the numbers probably stack up heavier this side of the Atlantic and seeing as it is the biggest fight for AJ just now, he is going to want to have every advantage he can, including home advantage

Why is no-one questioning why Deontay Wilder is still defending titles in fecking Birmingham Alabama?
Why should he not prove himself on the road? You want to test your real-boy skills (what does that even mean) then come to the UK Wilder!

[Kalan]

He should demand a massive football stadium in the US that can hold 100,000 to 150,000 for a boxing match... Whenever AJ fights the tickets are gone... People just want to see him because he's so famous and has 100% KO record with 5 World Championship Fights to his credit..

Rocky Marciano fought 7 Title Fights... Sonny Liston fought a total of 4... Joe Walcott beat 1 Title Challenger... So did Liston... Gene Tunney beat 2 Challengers... Max Schmeling beat 1 Challenger.. Max Baer didn't beat any challengers.. Jimmy Braddock also didn't beat any challengers... Jack Dempsey beat 5 Challengers, but only 3 were Heavyweights.. Jack sat on the title 3 straight years to let it marinate for a while.

[Wales]

He must travel to prove himself. Just like Marciano, Joe Louis, Jones Jnr, Mayweather and and many more did

Toney never left US until he became a sideshow

I hope you’re being sarcastic?

That I am

[Syntax Error]

I'm normally a fan of fighters travelling when they're world champions, but in Joshua's case, with the exception of Wilder, I don't really see the point in him going to the US.

You could reasonably argue that Wilder v Joshua would be bigger in the Britain than it would be in the USA, as the American fight fans don't appear to have taken Wilder to heart.

Obviously, at some point, Joshua should glove up in the States, as that is the Mecca of boxing, but at this time, there is no particular need for him to do so.

[candyslim]

The U.S isn't a powerhouse in the sport anymore, those days are long gone

I think Mr Toney has taken too many heavy punches to the head.

[boxing_rocks]

Obviously, at some point, Joshua should glove up in the States, as that is the Mecca of boxing, but at this time, there is no particular need for him to do so.

No, it is not the Mecca of boxing. The only person who can fill a stadium in the US is Canelo, and he needs a good opponent for that. Joshua routinely fills English stadiums, but Joshua vs Wilder probably wouldn't sell more than 20-30 thousand tickets in the US.