AJ v Wilder set for America?

[Mimmy]

a piece i was reading earlier.


It seems like we are very nearly there. Boxing's biggest cold war is very nearly over.

The whisper's are making way for louder grumbles and it appears that we might just get to see an undisputed heavyweight champion crowned by the end of the year. IntuBoxing has learned that the biggest fight in boxing is very close to being signed. We are nearly there ladies and gentleman.

The bad news for UK boxing fans is that it seems that Eddie Hearn has lost his grip on the fight being held in the UK, instead, we will see WBA 'Super', IBF & WBO Champion, Anthony Joshua make a long-awaited US debut against WBC Champion, Deontay Wilder. The fight is being slated to take place in either November or December in Las Vegas with the T-Mobile Arena being considered as the favored venue to hold this titanic heavyweight collision.

Eddie Hearn had originally stated that he wanted a Wembley summer fight, followed by a rematch stateside in the autumn/fall. But given we are near the end of May, time constraints have well and truly hammered the breaks on that option.

The weight of Wilder's offer appears to have removed any control Hearn tried to impose on keeping this fight in the UK where his partnership with AJ has sold 250,000 tickets in just three fights.

This will undoubtedly be the biggest heavyweight fight Vegas, or America has seen in over a decade. You would need to look back to Lennox Lewis's clash with Vitali Klitschko for a fight that would resemble the magnitude of the fight in front of us.

A fight in the Autumn does allow both champion's respective teams, as well as broadcasting giant Showtime, to promote sales, and boy would they need to. Wilder's team have promised Joshua a whopping $50 million in negotiations. So you can expect hefty ticket prices for the 20,000 seater arena and a lofty PPV price to help cope with those financial demands. Wilder too should walk away with an eight-figure payday higher than the original offer from Hearn when you take worldwide sales into consideration.

This is a huge blow for the UK in the short term as there is no guarantee that a rematch will land in London. The rematch to is expected to be held in the US.

The risks in this fight are huge, but there is everything to gain. For AJ a win over Wilder would truly turn him into a global sporting icon. For Wilder, the risks are equally as great, but the rewards are even bigger as he may finally gain the recognition from his own countrymen as one of America's biggest sporting stars. The UK too has everything to lose as it has seen an Indian summer in recent years, putting on the biggest boxing cards worldwide. Not to say that a Joshua loss would stop that, but it would certainly force a few steps back from the big nights and bright lights we are used to seeing in recent times.

[mickey1975]

Eddie is small fry over there. If they want it, they’ll get it.

[DrDuke]

Actually fighting in the USA is good for Joshua's reputation. If he goes there, he will prove, that he isn't a hometown champion, cause it's considered, that true champions can fight everywhere including their opponents' backyards. If he wins there, he will deserve even a bigger credit.

[SAPFO]

Anonymous Eddie. He wont like that. Prob even be asked for his backstage pass every time he gets out his seat

[GreenLightning]

It doesn't matter where they fight, Joshua is better in every single way and the hype Wilder receives is pretty laughable and baffling considering he almost gets beat every single time he fights against C- opposition

[dirk2686]

Can't see a win AJ turning into 'a global sporting icon.' Wilder is barely known inside the United States never mind out of it.

[ScottDetonator]

Get the fight over here!

Wilder is not PPV in the USA - AJ owns the box office when he fights over here!

AJ owes the fans the fight the UK.

[DrDuke]

It doesn't matter where they fight, Joshua is better in every single way and the hype Wilder receives is pretty laughable and baffling considering he almost gets beat every single time he fights against C- opposition

Joshua looks clearly better overall, but Wilder is awkward and has a tremendous KO power with great timing abilities. So he has some real chances to trouble Joshua.

[oogiebe]

http://www.latimes.com/sports/boxing/la ... story.html

We can only hope.

[dirk2686]

Actually fighting in the USA is good for Joshua's reputation. If he goes there, he will prove, that he isn't a hometown champion, cause it's considered, that true champions can fight everywhere including their opponents' backyards. If he wins there, he will deserve even a bigger credit.

To an extent but I think that's more to do with heavyweight boxing being in a poor state in the USA. Nobody really thinks of Holyfield for example as being a hometown champion despite pretty much all his prime being exclusively in America.

I still don't see the numbers adding up. As said a million times a payday of $70 between the two is suggesting this is more than twice as big as Lewis Tyson.

[BigDoofus]

AJ named his price so will look silly if he swerves.

[oogiebe]

AJ named his price so will look silly if he swerves.

He's be a doofus to accept...(jk...couldn't resist)

[DrDuke]

Actually fighting in the USA is good for Joshua's reputation. If he goes there, he will prove, that he isn't a hometown champion, cause it's considered, that true champions can fight everywhere including their opponents' backyards. If he wins there, he will deserve even a bigger credit.

To an extent but I think that's more to do with heavyweight boxing being in a poor state in the USA. Nobody really thinks of Holyfield for example as being a hometown champion despite pretty much all his prime being exclusively in America.

Well, Holyfield example a bit inaccurate, cause he fought in the time, when the USA was providing almost every top fighter, America was in most cases a homeland for both champions and challengers.

[dirk2686]

Actually fighting in the USA is good for Joshua's reputation. If he goes there, he will prove, that he isn't a hometown champion, cause it's considered, that true champions can fight everywhere including their opponents' backyards. If he wins there, he will deserve even a bigger credit.

To an extent but I think that's more to do with heavyweight boxing being in a poor state in the USA. Nobody really thinks of Holyfield for example as being a hometown champion despite pretty much all his prime being exclusively in America.

Well, Holyfield example a bit inaccurate, cause he fought in the time, when the USA was providing almost every top fighter, America was in most cases a homeland for both champions and challengers.

Perhaps but America isn't doing that now. Joshua is clearly the biggest name.

[DrDuke]

To an extent but I think that's more to do with heavyweight boxing being in a poor state in the USA. Nobody really thinks of Holyfield for example as being a hometown champion despite pretty much all his prime being exclusively in America.

Well, Holyfield example a bit inaccurate, cause he fought in the time, when the USA was providing almost every top fighter, America was in most cases a homeland for both champions and challengers.

Perhaps but America isn't doing that now. Joshua is clearly the biggest name.

That's absolutely true.

[Nightmare Roy]

The fight could be in Wilder's mam's back garden, he's getting starched whatever.

[fightfaninfrance]

Genuine question. Will AJ get a visa? Martin Murray never fought in US due visa issues and a few others.

I’m not comparing Murray and AJ just an example.

I hope he goes over there as common sense prevails. He’d really light it up over there with a big KO win. He has the star factor they’ll love

[jamamb]

Eddie is small fry over there. If they want it, they’ll get it.

the quality of eddies stable, the earnings power of those guys, the contacts hearn has, and now this massive amount of money from the recent deal means hes not a small fry anywhere.

[dirk2686]

Genuine question. Will AJ get a visa? Martin Murray never fought in US due visa issues and a few others.

I’m not comparing Murray and AJ just an example.

I hope he goes over there as common sense prevails. He’d really light it up over there with a big KO win. He has the star factor they’ll love

Why wouldn't he?

[GreenLightning]

It doesn't matter where they fight, Joshua is better in every single way and the hype Wilder receives is pretty laughable and baffling considering he almost gets beat every single time he fights against C- opposition

Joshua looks clearly better overall, but Wilder is awkward and has a tremendous KO power with great timing abilities. So he has some real chances to trouble Joshua.

Most devastating punchers who havn't fought good opposition at least look the part when destroying cans but Wilder struggles to do even that without almost losing, I couldn't even say his crap opposition makes him flatters to deceive and if anything his technique has been getting WORSE rather than better, so when he steps up to the top level and fights Joshua I can only see him getting embarrassed and brutalised, I certainly don't think a Wilder shot to the chin is as hard as a Klitschko one, even an older Klitschko, so I don't think he really brings much to trouble Joshua, I believe Joshua is in fact the harder hitter and the fights with the common opponent in Eric Molina kind of shows this

[jamamb]

wilder imo is a better puncher then klitschko, although some guys say he ends fights as soon as he lands the right and thats obviously not true at all. usually his fights go late and many times hes hurt/dropped a guy only for that guy to be there many rounds later.

its true hes very rough around the edges, and ppl go after aj for the takam and parker fights when wilder loses even more rounds to guys like szpilka and washington, and even gets hurt by eric molina.

but wilder does have that power that can turn fights, and hes probably a bit faster and with better stamina then ajs. although i think aj will probably beat him though with much tighter boxing. and keep in mind ppl saying wilder always gets the finish in the end, that he and aj have had the same number of fights go the distance.

[oogiebe]

It doesn't matter where they fight, Joshua is better in every single way and the hype Wilder receives is pretty laughable and baffling considering he almost gets beat every single time he fights against C- opposition

Joshua looks clearly better overall, but Wilder is awkward and has a tremendous KO power with great timing abilities. So he has some real chances to trouble Joshua.

Most devastating punchers who havn't fought good opposition at least look the part when destroying cans but Wilder struggles to do even that without almost losing, I couldn't even say his crap opposition makes him flatters to deceive and if anything his technique has been getting WORSE rather than better, so when he steps up to the top level and fights Joshua I can only see him getting embarrassed and brutalised, I certainly don't think a Wilder shot to the chin is as hard as a Klitschko one, even an older Klitschko, so I don't think he really brings much to trouble Joshua, I believe Joshua is in fact the harder hitter and the fights with the common opponent in Eric Molina kind of shows this

Wilder fans can only hope that AJ, like you, are underestimating what Wilder brings to the table. His awkward style is a result of great athleticism that makes up some of the skill set shortfall. His raw punching power is best in the division. Both of these attributes make him deadly on any given day against any given fighrer. AJ is surely better schooled in skills and Ring IQ, but that doesn't always win fights, nor does it make him perfect. AJ doesn't move his head much which plays into a fighter such as Wilder.

To say Wilder is getting worse on his technique is simply untrue. He showed the ability to clinch and hold when he was hurt (and never went down); he didn't resort to the wild haymakers when he got Ortiz hurt; rather he ended the fight with a tremendous right uppercut. Joshua, is in fact, NOT the harder hitter and that fact is backed by most boxing experts. Even AJ fanboys know that Wilder can change a fight with one punch even to the later rounds. This takes nothing away from AJ, just brings to light the truth. PS: Common opponent research means sh$t in the sweet science, ask Frazier, Ali and Foreman.

[oogiebe]

I just broke my one paragraph rule.

[jamamb]

his awkward style is the lack of schooling and probably his late start. simply being very athletic doesnt cause one to be akward. fact is his akwardness and crudeness have allowed a number of less athletically gifted opponents to have success and go rounds. i dont know how ppl can watch that and act like his 'akwardness' and 'unorthodoxy' are actually strengths

imagine if wilder had all these athletic advantages over his opponents, but then also was a sound well schooled boxer. no doubt hed be a better fighter who isnt dropping like half the rounds to guys like szpilka

[oogiebe]

It doesn't matter where they fight, Joshua is better in every single way and the hype Wilder receives is pretty laughable and baffling considering he almost gets beat every single time he fights against C- opposition

What's laughable is your post. Just say you're a huge Joshua fan and move on. LMFAO!!! I just read it again! LMFAO!!!