Who Will Be Top Heavyweight This Time Next Year?

[bigjack]

AJ will fight twice next year, first up a easy win by stopping Parker. Then possibly Deontay Wilder around September to November time if the money is right. Providing AJ keeps winning he will be top dog by the end of next year.

I'd love to see AJ and Wilder but going on Wilders whole career and lack of an top quality opponents just can't see it happening as he wants too much,which would make the perfect excuse to avoid the fight.

[dirk2686]

If he fights twice before June 21st I'll be amazed, let alone four times, mate.

Yea it's unlikely but i'm only going off what Tyson said he wanted to do, fight once a month for 12 months.
Likely, no. But he needs a busy year.

April 1st - British (Sexton)
May 1st - Commonwealth (Thomas)
June 1st - Old Puncher (Briggs/Price)
August 1st - WBA ranked fighter (Flores)
October 1st - WBA 'Regular' (Charr)

Tyson said he wanted to fight last April, last May, last September, on the Saunders undercard, wanted the Wlad rematch at Wembley....

He's failed to make about half a dozen dates in the last year for his comeback, all whilst maintaining the sort of shape which suggests he isn't remotely serious about a comeback. Lets face it - you don't believe for a second anything like the above will actually happen do you?

[banjo]

If he fights twice before June 21st I'll be amazed, let alone four times, mate.

Yea it's unlikely but i'm only going off what Tyson said he wanted to do, fight once a month for 12 months.
Likely, no. But he needs a busy year.

April 1st - British (Sexton)
May 1st - Commonwealth (Thomas)
June 1st - Old Puncher (Briggs/Price)
August 1st - WBA ranked fighter (Flores)
October 1st - WBA 'Regular' (Charr)

He's not going to fight 5 times in a calender year let alone 6 months

[Crease]

AJ.

I believe that they will get the Parker fight signed and AJ will knock him out and add the WBO Championship to his collection.

From there, I wouldn't be surprised if he had to have a WBO mandatory defense.

He's fulfilled his IBF obligations for the next 12 months and the WBA is just a mess... With the likes of Ortiz, Povetkin & Charr all in the mix for that. So I don't think he need worry about them.

[Boxerbeetle]

Definitely Joshua.

[Old Jack J]

I think Wilder will price himself out of a fight with Joshua. It won't happen this year at least.

As for Fury, I don't believe he will be ready in the next 8 months for Joshua. Let's face it, the Joshua vs Fury fight has to be a Wembley type fight with 90k fans there which rules out Sept - Dec this year. I just don't see him getting himself fit by then. If he does fight Joshua this year in the summer then he will be undercooked and could lose it.

Sensible money will be on Joshua.

[Bard of Boxrec]

Joshua

Fury will be the top performing HW at the buffet table as usual.

[CasualQuaker]

Had to go with AJ really as I can’t see the Fury fight happening anytime soon.

Joshua will probably take Parker’s WBO title in the Spring and if he goes in with Wilder in the summer I think he’d take that crown too.

[wesshaw1985]

If he fights twice before June 21st I'll be amazed, let alone four times, mate.

Yea it's unlikely but i'm only going off what Tyson said he wanted to do, fight once a month for 12 months.
Likely, no. But he needs a busy year.

April 1st - British (Sexton)
May 1st - Commonwealth (Thomas)
June 1st - Old Puncher (Briggs/Price)
August 1st - WBA ranked fighter (Flores)
October 1st - WBA 'Regular' (Charr)

Blimey Wes, your one optimistic guy. His Frankness dosent even have that many shows in 6 months these days.

Frampton-Donaire undercard on April 7.
Warrington-Selby undercard on May 19th.
And so on and so forth...

[Crease]

I think Wilder will price himself out of a fight with Joshua. It won't happen this year at least.

As do I. Wilder's WBC Championship somehow defines him as a top fighter of his weight class. And yet - compared to him, Joshua doesn't allow any belt define him. He's always said that he wants all the belts - but I don't think he will get the WBC, because Wilder won't agree to the bout.

If Wilder were to take the fight with AJ and lose. He would be going back to square one and would be just another American Heavyweight with a loss on his record and no belt around his waist. That seriously devalues the Wilder brand name.

As I understand it, Wilder makes around £1 and £2 million per defense. I can see him just clocking the defenses up and making a tidy bit of coin along the way.

[moogie101]

I'm not picking Tyson as I want them to take his time & get a few wins before facing AJ in 2019. Still say Hearn's plan was to chuck him in there with AJ as soon as possible to give his Golden Goose every advantage.

I suppose it will be either AJ or Wilder, hopefully we get to see them fight & that gets answered. I know a lot of people on here ain't Wilder's biggest fans but I still think he KO's AJ.

[Taansend]

I think Wilder will price himself out of a fight with Joshua. It won't happen this year at least.

As do I. Wilder's WBC Championship somehow defines him as a top fighter of his weight class. And yet - compared to him, Joshua doesn't allow any belt define him. He's always said that he wants all the belts - but I don't think he will get the WBC, because Wilder won't agree to the bout.

If Wilder were to take the fight with AJ and lose. He would be going back to square one and would be just another American Heavyweight with a loss on his record and no belt around his waist. That seriously devalues the Wilder brand name.

As I understand it, Wilder makes around £1 and £2 million per defense. I can see him just clocking the defenses up and making a tidy bit of coin along the way.

He got $1.4m against Stiverne. He'll earn at least $15m against Joshua.

So he'd need to make a lot defences to earn the same. Plus there'd be a lot more in a rematch even he puts in a decent losing effort.

There's no sensible monetary reason for him not fight Joshua.

[Old Jack J]

I think Wilder will price himself out of a fight with Joshua. It won't happen this year at least.

As do I. Wilder's WBC Championship somehow defines him as a top fighter of his weight class. And yet - compared to him, Joshua doesn't allow any belt define him. He's always said that he wants all the belts - but I don't think he will get the WBC, because Wilder won't agree to the bout.

If Wilder were to take the fight with AJ and lose. He would be going back to square one and would be just another American Heavyweight with a loss on his record and no belt around his waist. That seriously devalues the Wilder brand name.

As I understand it, Wilder makes around £1 and £2 million per defense. I can see him just clocking the defenses up and making a tidy bit of coin along the way.

He got $1.4m against Stiverne. He'll earn at least $15m against Joshua.

So he'd need to make a lot defences to earn the same. Plus there'd be a lot more in a rematch even he puts in a decent losing effort.

There's no sensible monetary reason for him not fight Joshua.

I think the fight will happen but not next year. Maybe 2 - 3 years down the line. Wilder (and Joshua) can make a good 4 or 5 defences to earn an extra 10 million before risking it at a later date. Neither are going to retire in the near future. May as well take the easy money before going for the big cash out fight later on. It'll still be there.

[asdfjkl]

I don't think there will change much, Tyson Fury still won't fight AJ, Wilder still won't fight anyone with a heartbeat, still nobody dares to fight Povetkin or Ortiz, Ortiz his name will probably be destroyed by Wilder his team who still doesn't dare to fight anyone good.

[Crease]

still nobody dares to fight Povetkin or Ortiz

I was wondering about this the other day. Maybe this could to THE BIG FIGHT in the Heavyweight division. Both men are talented boxers, but both are on the periphery at the moment and they aren't getting any younger.

A povetkin vs Luis Ortiz fight could be an intriguing high-quality matchup.

[Spud]

Ortiz could be the spanner in the works for a lot of the top heavyweights.

If he is fit and his head is right then watch out.

[wesshaw1985]

[wesshaw1985]

[wesshaw1985]