Who would you rather see AJ face?

[conan_the_cribber]

I'm pretty much happy with any of them, but I chose Pulev because he's got a good amateur pedigree and fights tall. I'd be happy to see a Klitschko rematch, after all he almost won. Miller is third, just to kind of gauge what Miller is like. I think Kowacki gets absolutely starched, even the timid Washington was hitting him clean every time he wasn't cowering behind his gloves. AJ would walk through that wide-open-gate defence in 1 or 2 rounds.

[jamamb]

i think pulev is made for aj to starch....good jab and stamina,but not much power, chin up, upright

[ajwesty13]

You'd be surprised I think filling Wembley with whyte and aj being an all English match up with extra added history of beef wouldn't be that difficult... if fought in the UK i personalily believe it would sell better than the other ones listed.. thats why also I've gone for whyte ...

I believe that a bout between AJ and Whyte would be a big event, but perhaps not as big as many people believe, for a number of reasons:

• The ignorant mainstream masses may find it hard to get excited about Joshua facing an opponent he’s already comfortably beaten (they may be blissfully unaware of Whyte’s improvement over the last few years)
• PPV sales may be cannibalised by the Wilder-Fury rematch that may take place two weeks later
• Hearn stated that the two-fight deal that Joshua signed with Wembley Stadium includes an obligation to sell 15,000 coach packages, with the Matchroom boss claiming that these seats won’t sell, because people aren’t willing to travel by that mode of transport
• The weather in April is usually poor around that time of the year

So, the rematch between Joshua and Whyte could do reasonably well, both in terms of gate receipts and also PPV-wise, but the total revenue the event would generate would probably be not much different to AJ’s last two or three outings.

I think that’s part of the reason why Eddie Hearn yesterday appeared to confirm that AJ will either compete in New York in June or the 13th April Wembley date could be pushed back to May or June (I believe the two-fight deal with that venue related to specific dates, meaning that the coach package stipulation may be renegotiated).

I'm in agreement with you.... And thinking about the unfortunate and absurd draw between fury v wilder has made AJ and matchroom pretty weak in the negotiation stakes for the most wanted HW clash ..... AJs next fight will be the lesser attraction for sure of the 2 .. But i'd be bit shocked if whyte was AJs next oppennet don't think Eddie is silly enough not to milk that fight later on..

But whyte has definitely improved plus its 1 all between the 2 if include the armatures lol... The fight will definitely be a seller.. Whyte is the the best match up for me but the wrong time.. Usyk shouldn't be on this list he's gonna be ready though late this year..

[candyslim]

I guess the one that annoys me the most is that Whyte has been made an offer less than his last fight. I suspect that is because if Hearn makes a sensible offer, Whyte will accept and then Wilder and Fury is out of the running.

That is exactly the point. Until Wilder or Fury is no longer a possibility, Hearn doesn't want to make Whyte or Miller an offer they will agree to but he wants to keep them interested so he pitches his offer low but not stupidly low. You watch these offers (or at least one of them) improve as soon as Wilder v Fury II gets signed.

i think pulev is made for aj to starch....good jab and stamina,but not much power, chin up, upright

Absolutely. I think Pulev understands that better than most which is why he is, in my opinion, somewhat ambivalent about getting his shot. He's not scared of AJ but he doesn't want another Klitschko-like defeat tainting his super-hero status back home, I suspect.

I'm waiting on team Joshua to announce Fees Oquendo as WBA mandatory.
Let's see them spin this as such a dangerous fight

When was the last time Joshua fought a gimme? Molina?

That's not really his department is it?

[Rob3_142]

Well the April 13 date is as good as scrapped as they look towards May/June for Whyte/Miller.

I feel if they go down the Miller route, it's super unfair on Whyte who has now been stitched up by Wilder and Joshua. I know he'll get his mandatory, but come on, just give the guy the rewards for his risk and hard work!

[Rob3_142]

Well the April 13 date is as good as scrapped as they look towards May/June for Whyte/Miller.

I feel if they go down the Miller route, it's super unfair on Whyte who has now been stitched up by Wilder and Joshua. I know he'll get his mandatory, but come on, just give the guy the rewards for his risk and hard work!

[Rob3_142]

Well the April 13 date is as good as scrapped as they look towards May/June for Whyte/Miller.

I feel if they go down the Miller route, it's super unfair on Whyte who has now been stitched up by Wilder and Joshua. I know he'll get his mandatory, but come on, just give the guy the rewards for his risk and hard work!

[kbackup408]

Lost interest in Joshua, his team are too difficult make a deal with wake me up when it is Joshua vs Fury/Wilder fight week, cheers!

[The Asleep Lamps]

Alright it is looking like it will be Miller in New York City. It is good to drag Joshua out of his comfort zone. Isn't this what Lennox Lewis and others have been criticizing him for and especially if his fight after this will be back in the U.K.
Miller is a giant. They will look massive vs each other.

[Enlightened-One]

This situation is becoming a farce and I’m also growing weary of all the speculation about AJ’s next opponent.

Based on the latest set of rumours, it seems that Dillian Whyte is now out-of-the-running and even Jarrell Miller appears to be considering declining the Joshua bout, due to Matchroom’s offer being inadequate.

So if we employ the process of elimination, it seems that Eddie Hearn may need to consider initiating negotiations with Kubrat Pulev’s team, since Wilder, Fury, Whyte and possibly Miller have all rejected opportunities to face Anthony Joshua.

At this rate, we may even end up seeing AJ defending his WBA strap against the utterly appalling Fres Ouendo - you think I'm joking, but Gilberto Mendoza's organisation owes the American a title shot!

Eddie Hearn and Team Joshua have fṹckḛd things up for themselves by submitting lowball offers to AJ's big name rivals.

[joshj909]

This situation is becoming a farce and I’m also growing weary of all the speculation about AJ’s next opponent.

Based on the latest set of rumours, it seems that Dillian Whyte is now out-of-the-running and even Jarrell Miller appears to be considering declining the Joshua bout, due to Matchroom’s offer being inadequate.

So if we employ the process of elimination, it seems that Eddie Hearn may need to consider initiating negotiations with Kubrat Pulev’s team, since Wilder, Fury, Whyte and possibly Miller have all rejected opportunities to face Anthony Joshua.

At this rate, we may even end up seeing AJ defending his WBA strap against the utterly appalling Fres Ouendo - you think I'm joking, but Gilberto Mendoza's organisation owes the American a title shot!

Eddie Hearn and Team Joshua have fṹckḛd things up for themselves by submitting lowball offers to AJ's big name rivals.

I don't know why they don't take the Pulev fight. He's the only mandatory and Joshua has three belts. Miller would be a voluntary, Whyte might be, depending on whether the WBO enforce it as a mandatory defence after its arranged. If he waits until June to make a voluntary defence, then he won't have long before the IBF and WBO both need their defences and by that time the WBA will need their's defended as well. Risky business in my eyes.

[JohnMcMinn]

I'd also enjoy seeing AJ fight five guys in one night, George Foreman-style. How about Bryan, Miller, Oquendo, Charr, and Wallin? That would wipe out a good chunk of the WBA top ten. With that level of opposition, he could probably do it. Come on WBA, make it happen!

[Enlightened-One]

This situation is becoming a farce and I’m also growing weary of all the speculation about AJ’s next opponent.

Based on the latest set of rumours, it seems that Dillian Whyte is now out-of-the-running and even Jarrell Miller appears to be considering declining the Joshua bout, due to Matchroom’s offer being inadequate.

So if we employ the process of elimination, it seems that Eddie Hearn may need to consider initiating negotiations with Kubrat Pulev’s team, since Wilder, Fury, Whyte and possibly Miller have all rejected opportunities to face Anthony Joshua.

At this rate, we may even end up seeing AJ defending his WBA strap against the utterly appalling Fres Ouendo - you think I'm joking, but Gilberto Mendoza's organisation owes the American a title shot!

Eddie Hearn and Team Joshua have fṹckḛd things up for themselves by submitting lowball offers to AJ's big name rivals.

I don't know why they don't take the Pulev fight. He's the only mandatory and Joshua has three belts. Miller would be a voluntary, Whyte might be, depending on whether the WBO enforce it as a mandatory defence after its arranged. If he waits until June to make a voluntary defence, then he won't have long before the IBF and WBO both need their defences and by that time the WBA will need their's defended as well. Risky business in my eyes.

You’re probably right, but I think that Hearn is concerned about Pulev being signed with Top Rank, because if the Bulgarian manages to score the upset, Bob Arum would gain control over the belts and attempt to orchestrate purely in-house title defences for his fighter.

It was previously quite easy to make a bout between Pulev and AJ, because the Bulgarian used to be promoted by Sauerland, who have an established partnership with Matchroom, but Kubrat recently paid for the right to terminate his contact with the German promoter and then immediately signed with Top Rank.

It’s basically a political issue whereby it’s difficult to make bouts between fighters from the big three boxing content providers (i.e. Top Rank/ESPN versus PBC/Fox/Showtime versus GBP/Matchroom/DAZN).

[Lackeos]

Miller, Whyte, and Pulev have all done way beyond enough to earn title shots, and Kownacki is not far behind either. Since Pulev is a legitimately good boxer, and since his prime will probably end soon, I'd like him to get his title shot before his scalp is no longer with anything. Luis Ortiz has not earned a repeat title shot, but he would obviously be a formidable challenger, and doesn't have much time left.

So anyways, I voted for Pulev.

You think Pulev has done 'way beyond enough' to earn a title shot. I'd love you to articulate what exactly.

Apart from already retaining a high rating after his loss to Wlad, he has since then smoked Chisora and Hughie (who were each top 15 and top 20 at the time of fighting), not to mention some much lesser wins against Mo Harris, Sam Peter, and Kevin Johnson. In a post several months ago, I gave the breakdown on what every first-time HW title challenger of the last decade did to earn their first title shot. Speaking from memory, I'm pretty sure that Pulev's wins over Chisora and Hughie trump what was done by at least 80% of other HW title challengers. So Pulev is easily way past the point of needing to earn a second title shot, and really ought to be getting his shot right now.

[oogiebe]

I'd also enjoy seeing AJ fight five guys in one night, George Foreman-style. How about Bryan, Miller, Oquendo, Charr, and Wallin? That would wipe out a good chunk of the WBA top ten. With that level of opposition, he could probably do it. Come on WBA, make it happen!

Oh Lord not that again!!!!

[Rob3_142]

Miller, Whyte, and Pulev have all done way beyond enough to earn title shots, and Kownacki is not far behind either. Since Pulev is a legitimately good boxer, and since his prime will probably end soon, I'd like him to get his title shot before his scalp is no longer with anything. Luis Ortiz has not earned a repeat title shot, but he would obviously be a formidable challenger, and doesn't have much time left.

So anyways, I voted for Pulev.

You think Pulev has done 'way beyond enough' to earn a title shot. I'd love you to articulate what exactly.

Apart from already retaining a high rating after his loss to Wlad, he has since then smoked Chisora and Hughie (who were each top 15 and top 20 at the time of fighting), not to mention some much lesser wins against Mo Harris, Sam Peter, and Kevin Johnson. In a post several months ago, I gave the breakdown on what every first-time HW title challenger of the last decade did to earn their first title shot. Speaking from memory, I'm pretty sure that Pulev's wins over Chisora and Hughie trump what was done by at least 80% of other HW title challengers. So Pulev is easily way past the point of needing to earn a second title shot, and really ought to be getting his shot right now.

Whilst Pulev has managed just one win against a top 20 opponent in the last 5 years, the rest of the division has moved on, thus shifting Pulev into obscurity. You may well get away with sitting on a ranking for 5 years in this sport, but don't sit here pretending to justify it.

[Lackeos]

Miller, Whyte, and Pulev have all done way beyond enough to earn title shots, and Kownacki is not far behind either. Since Pulev is a legitimately good boxer, and since his prime will probably end soon, I'd like him to get his title shot before his scalp is no longer with anything. Luis Ortiz has not earned a repeat title shot, but he would obviously be a formidable challenger, and doesn't have much time left.

So anyways, I voted for Pulev.

You think Pulev has done 'way beyond enough' to earn a title shot. I'd love you to articulate what exactly.

Apart from already retaining a high rating after his loss to Wlad, he has since then smoked Chisora and Hughie (who were each top 15 and top 20 at the time of fighting), not to mention some much lesser wins against Mo Harris, Sam Peter, and Kevin Johnson. In a post several months ago, I gave the breakdown on what every first-time HW title challenger of the last decade did to earn their first title shot. Speaking from memory, I'm pretty sure that Pulev's wins over Chisora and Hughie trump what was done by at least 80% of other HW title challengers. So Pulev is easily way past the point of needing to earn a second title shot, and really ought to be getting his shot right now.

Whilst Pulev has managed just one win against a top 20 opponent in the last 5 years, the rest of the division has moved on, thus shifting Pulev into obscurity. You may well get away with sitting on a ranking for 5 years in this sport, but don't sit here pretending to justify it.

Here you go. Learn something about boxing. Make up your opinion after you're informed.
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=226280&p=5043312

*Pasting the post in case the link doesn't auto-scroll to the correct post*

The key wins of other title challengers at the time of their first shot (I've left out a few like Briggs and Rahman whose best wins were like decades old):
Luis Ortiz: Jennings, Malik Scott, past-it Tony Thompson, Kayode
Ustinov: past-it David Tua, Monte Barrett
Washington: draw with Mansour, past-it Chambers
Szpilka: Adamek
Duhaupas: MD over Charr
Molina: Tony Grano
Charles Martin: Tom Dallas, pre-prime Dawejko
Takam: Tony Thompson, draw with Mike Perez
Hughie Fury: Andriy Rudenko
Razvan Cojanu: literally nobody
Parker: Takam, Dimitrenko
Ruiz Jr.: Joe Hanks, Tor Hamer, corpse of Liakhovich
Breazeale: Mansour (and mostly because Mansour didn't have a real gum shield)
Anthony Joshua: unproven Dillian Whyte (borderline top 50 at the time), Gary Cornish
Wilder: Malik Scott
Stiverne: Arreola
Lucas Browne: Richard Towers, corpse of James Toney, Andriy Rudenko
Tyson Fury: Chisora, Cunningham, Hammer
Jennings: Mike Perez, Szpilka, Fedosov, past-it Liakhovich
Glazkov: Cunningham (gift), Adamek
Pulev: Tony Thompson, Ustinov, Dimitrenko
Alex Leapai: Denis Boytsov
Chisora: Sam Sexton
Manuel Charr: Taras Bidenko
Odlanier Solis: Ray Austin, Monte Barret
Albert Sosnowski: draw with Pianeta
Francesco Pianeta: past-it Oliver McCall, pre-prime Duhaupas, draw with Sosnowski
Wach: Tye Fields, pre-prime Christian Hammer
Andrzej Wawrzyk: Denis Bakhtov, Devin Vargas
Kevin Johnson: Devin Vargas
Cedric Boswell: past-it Oliver McCall, Roman Greenberg
Povetkin: Chambers, past-it Chris Byrd
Arreola: Jameel McCline, Chazz Witherspoon

So, by my count, Pulev's post-Wlad run is better than about 27 of those first-time title challengers and worse or about the same as the other 6. That makes his second run better than about 82% of first-time title challengers.

[The Asleep Lamps]

Whyte is probably the most deserving followed by Pulev but really how good is Dereck Chisora (on both men's resumes)? Miller is the second ranked heavyweight from USA. If the long term goal is for Joshua to claim this era as his own, then this is what he is setting forth on.
Also he might as well face a great big guy to prepare him if Tyson Fury is next (in the event he beats Wilder in the rematch) granted Whyte and Pulev are not small. Tyson Fury is 6' 9" wow no wonder he fears no man.

[candyslim]

Lost interest in Joshua, his team are too difficult make a deal with wake me up when it is Joshua vs Fury/Wilder fight week, cheers!

Too difficult to make a deal with?

Team Joshua have offered 40% to both Wilder and Fury. How much is that $30m?, $40? more than that? Nobody knows but it's probably nearer to ten times than five times what either of them have ever earned in one fight, maybe more than either have earned in their entire ferkin careers.

On what planet is that not a fantastic offer?

Joshua has done all the heavy lifting. He holds the belts, has done the unifying, regenerated interest in the division and single-handedly increased purses for all the top heavyweights.

Now I have been accused of being a Wilder-hater so let's take Dillian Whyte who I'm a massive fan of because of his warrior attitude. Whyte wants 40% same as has been offered to Wilder and Fury. How TF does Dillian work out he's worth 40%, he doesn't have a belt, not even an invisible one like Fury?

It's a question of risk v reward. Dillian will fight anyone and would back himself to beat most of the top ten. He has worked very hard and taken big risks to get a very high rating from all the governing bodies, and establish himself as a UK PPV star in his own right.

He's not scared of Joshua but he knows most good judges are expecting him to lose and there's a reason for that. If he loses to Joshua he stands to lose a lot more than just the fight, which is why he would rather choose the road of less risk less reward. I believe this is the thinking of Wilder and Fury too.

Miller has everything to gain and little to lose which is why he is more financially amenable .

[oogiebe]

Lost interest in Joshua, his team are too difficult make a deal with wake me up when it is Joshua vs Fury/Wilder fight week, cheers!

Too difficult to make a deal with?

Team Joshua have offered 40% to both Wilder and Fury. How much is that $30m?, $40? more than that? Nobody knows but it's probably nearer to ten times than five times what either of them have ever earned in one fight, maybe more than either have earned in their entire ferkin careers.

On what planet is that not a fantastic offer?

Joshua has done all the heavy lifting. He holds the belts, has done the unifying, regenerated interest in the division and single-handedly increased purses for all the top heavyweights.

Now I have been accused of being a Wilder-hater so let's take Dillian Whyte who I'm a massive fan of because of his warrior attitude. Whyte wants 40% same as has been offered to Wilder and Fury. How TF does Dillian work out he's worth 40%, he doesn't have a belt, not even an invisible one like Fury?

It's a question of risk v reward. Dillian will fight anyone and would back himself to beat most of the top ten. He has worked very hard and taken big risks to get a very high rating from all the governing bodies, and establish himself as a UK PPV star in his own right.

He's not scared of Joshua but he knows most good judges are expecting him to lose and there's a reason for that. If he loses to Joshua he stands to lose a lot more than just the fight, which is why he would rather choose the road of less risk less reward. I believe this is the thinking of Wilder and Fury too.

Miller has everything to gain and little to lose which is why he is more financially amenable .

Wooooooooooooowwwwwwww!!!!!! LOL!

[candyslim]

Why Oogie has OTO commandeered your computer?

[oogiebe]

Why Oogie has OTO commandeered your computer?

That's what I was thinking about you! Very wordy indeed! LMAO! You were on a roll, boyo!

[candyslim]

Am I wrong though?

[oogiebe]

Am I wrong though?

LOLOLOL!!!! Nah!

[candyslim]

G'night my friend Got to get my beauty sleep.