BoxRec

Povetkin is 38 now and appears to me to be not the force that he undoubtedly was. Now would be a good time to fight him while beating him would still mean something. That option won't be there in a year or two. That would be my move if I were Hearn.

Hearn has been making noises about Joshua fighting Miller. A fight at MSG would be a good way to introduce AJ to America and raise his profile there before the unification with Wilder. That option has a longer shelf-life so I would prioritize Povetkin. As has been mentioned there is little point showcasing Povetkin to the British public by having him fight the discredited but very well known David Price, if there were no intention to match him with Joshua.

Then of course there is Wilder which we are all clamouring for, but as has also already been pointed out, from a business point of view there is no rush. Wilder is not the best value in terms of risk v reward. AJ can make tons of money fighting anyone, he doesn't need Wilder in that sense and as time goes on the more the odds will favour AJ to prevail in that fight.

One point to factor in however is timing. If the fight were to be in Vegas, then it would make sense for AJ to first fight MIller in NY to give him experience of the US and to raise his profile there before the big one against Wilder. Personally I think it would be crazy for Hearn to allow AJ to fight Wilder in Las Vegas where too many other factors are likely to come into play besides the normal risk in fighting Wilder anywhere.

If the fight is in the UK then the obvious venue is Wembley and another 90,000 crowd. For that to happen it really needs to be in Summer or thereabouts - say May to October latest. If Joshua fights three times a year, Spring, Summer, Autumn then ideally it would be his next fight. Parker is end of March, next up say end of June maybe July, that means his next defence would be Octoberish leaving it perhaps a bit late for a stadium fight this year, maybe not. If it isn't next up or late autumn then I don't see the fight happening before June of next year.

asdfjkl wrote: ↑19 Mar 2018, 06:06 I hope Wilder will show up screaming and Tyson Fury will come up screaming as well, then Fury Wilder will get made, just like AJ vs Povetkin.

Povetkin, Wilder and Fury all have a history with each other.

I see a mini tournament between AJ, Povetkin, Wilder and Tyson Fury in the make, and I think it can easely fill any stadion out there about 4 times at least.
I even think Wilder vs Fury should become the next main event, with AJ vs Povetkin on the undercard.
And then the winners vs the winners and the losers against the losers on the event after.
So even if Wilder loses against Fury, he will still have a match left against the winner of Povetkin vs AJ.

I'd love to see that tournament.

I appreciate that this is just fantasy, and you'd struggle to find someone who'd disagree, but Joshua on an undercard?! What promoter would be stupid enough to do such a thing?

asdfjkl wrote: ↑19 Mar 2018, 12:07

Enlightened-One wrote: ↑19 Mar 2018, 07:59

asdfjkl wrote: ↑19 Mar 2018, 07:08
Tyson can walk in any English city and create a screaming crowd in minits.




Joe Joyce "Even at 25 stones he was still giving me problems"

That same Joe Joyce against some other 208cm 300 pound boxer:

http://boxrec.com/en/boxer/619859

I honestly don’t understand the relevance those videos have in the context of my post you quoted. Any z-list celebrity could walk down the streets in the UK and get harassed by “fans”.

Excluding any bouts against Wladimir Klitschko, Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder and Alexander Povetkin have never filled stadiums.

Wilder, Povetkin and Fury have never filled stadions?
Let's check Povetkin...
Povetkin vs Hammer:

Stadion filled
Povetkin vs Duhaupas:

Filled
Perez:

Filled

Really, you're kidding right?

Tyson Fury then:

Filled

Really, it's only Wilder who seems to struggle with it, but even he can do it with Fury as an opponent.

Fury couldn't even get close to selling out the Manchester Arena for the Klitschko rematch. Unless of course there was a frantic selling of tickets just prior to the fight.

Rob3, I think that you underestimate Fury's popularity, he is among top 5 most popular boxers in my part of the world (so far from UK)............

ValMar wrote: ↑21 Mar 2018, 12:41 Rob3, I think that you underestimate Fury's popularity, he is among top 5 most popular boxers in my part of the world (so far from UK)............

He's coming on in America as well. He is a crazy maverick and we love those! He's the 'realist" HW out there. He connects with the people. And...he is f'n hysterical!

oogiebe wrote: ↑21 Mar 2018, 12:48

ValMar wrote: ↑21 Mar 2018, 12:41 Rob3, I think that you underestimate Fury's popularity, he is among top 5 most popular boxers in my part of the world (so far from UK)............

He's coming on in America as well. He is a crazy maverick and we love those! He's the 'realist" HW out there. He connects with the people. And...he is f'n hysterical!

The usual average boxing fan's opinion (regarding several friends of mine) : Fury is so amusing, we like him, definitely.

ValMar wrote: ↑21 Mar 2018, 13:19

oogiebe wrote: ↑21 Mar 2018, 12:48

ValMar wrote: ↑21 Mar 2018, 12:41 Rob3, I think that you underestimate Fury's popularity, he is among top 5 most popular boxers in my part of the world (so far from UK)............

He's coming on in America as well. He is a crazy maverick and we love those! He's the 'realist" HW out there. He connects with the people. And...he is f'n hysterical!

The usual average boxing fan's opinion (regarding several friends of mine) : Fury is so amusing, we like him, definitely.

I can't wait for him to come back! He makes things way more interesting!

oogiebe wrote: ↑21 Mar 2018, 13:35

ValMar wrote: ↑21 Mar 2018, 13:19

oogiebe wrote: ↑21 Mar 2018, 12:48

He's coming on in America as well. He is a crazy maverick and we love those! He's the 'realist" HW out there. He connects with the people. And...he is f'n hysterical!

The usual average boxing fan's opinion (regarding several friends of mine) : Fury is so amusing, we like him, definitely.

I can't wait for him to come back! He makes things way more interesting!

Yes ! Yes !

ValMar wrote: ↑21 Mar 2018, 12:41 Rob3, I think that you underestimate Fury's popularity, he is among top 5 most popular boxers in my part of the world (so far from UK)............

That's all well and good guys, but are you and your buddies abroad going to be jetting over to the UK to watch his next fight? No I didn't think so.

Turning casual interest into boxing popularity are two different things. I can imagine he will sell his return out, but the interest will fall off very quickly. He'll be back to half empty stadiums before too long.

Rob3_142 wrote: ↑21 Mar 2018, 13:59

ValMar wrote: ↑21 Mar 2018, 12:41 Rob3, I think that you underestimate Fury's popularity, he is among top 5 most popular boxers in my part of the world (so far from UK)............

That's all well and good guys, but are you and your buddies abroad going to be jetting over to the UK to watch his next fight? No I didn't think so.

Turning casual interest into boxing popularity are two different things. I can imagine he will sell his return out, but the interest will fall off very quickly. He'll be back to half empty stadiums before too long.

I beg to differ, and we'll see for sure over the 12 months.

I get the feeling they'll try to get a fight with Wilder made by years end because it's honestly as big now as it will ever, and both Joshua and Wilder are vulnerable Champions IMO so postponing it any longer increases the chance of blowing it altogether as either of them could potentially be upset.

If Joshua vs Wilder isn't the go to match to make then AJ vs Povetkin will be. Why do you think he's on the card against Price?

gilgamesh wrote: ↑21 Mar 2018, 14:07 I get the feeling they'll try to get a fight with Wilder made by years end because it's honestly as big now as it will ever, and both Joshua and Wilder are vulnerable Champions IMO so postponing it any longer increases the chance of blowing it altogether as either of them could potentially be upset.

If Joshua vs Wilder isn't the go to match to make then AJ vs Povetkin will be. Why do you think he's on the card against Price?

I'm a Wilder fan (a reasonable one), and I don't think Wilder's handlers would make that fight. At least not Fury's first fight out. He is so damn difficult to fight.

Unless one of the belt associations orders a mandatory, I don't expect Joshua to fight until the end of the year against Wilder.

The IBF mandatory isn't due until the end of October. I think they will order Pulev vs Miller as a final eliminator for the #1 position this spring/summer and then order the winner of Joshua/Wilder to fight that mandatory late 2018/early 2019

The WBA doesn't appear to have any idea what they themselves are doing, so it is impossible to predict what might occur. Povetkin is the #1, but they also have the Charr/Oquendo regular belt holder. They could order Joshua to face Povetkin this summer, or they could order Charr/Oquendo vs Joshua, or they could order Charr/Oquendo vs Povetkin.. Knowing them, they will probably create a new belt instead.

The WBO #1 is Povetkin. This mandatory is due to be ordered in late summer, but the WBO isn't alwasy consistent with these like the IBF.


My prediction is that Joshua fights Wilder in late 2018 with no fight in between. After which the 3 associations above all order mandatories around the same time causing the winner to drop the IBF belt (much like Fury had to). The other most likely option is that Joshua fights Povetkin this summer and gets both the WBA and WBO to consider that a fulfillment of their mandatory leaving the winner of the Wilder/Joshua fight free to make a mandatory defense against for the IBF and retain all 4 belts for at least a while.

My hope is for the latter scenario, but I predict the former is more likely.

oogiebe wrote: ↑21 Mar 2018, 14:14

gilgamesh wrote: ↑21 Mar 2018, 14:07 I get the feeling they'll try to get a fight with Wilder made by years end because it's honestly as big now as it will ever, and both Joshua and Wilder are vulnerable Champions IMO so postponing it any longer increases the chance of blowing it altogether as either of them could potentially be upset.

If Joshua vs Wilder isn't the go to match to make then AJ vs Povetkin will be. Why do you think he's on the card against Price?

I'm a Wilder fan (a reasonable one), and I don't think Wilder's handlers would make that fight. At least not Fury's first fight out. He is so damn difficult to fight.

Nobody even mentioned Fury. Fury isn't even worth talking about until he comes back against anybody at this point. I don't consider him relevant to the current conversation about the division until he makes himself relevant again.

gilgamesh wrote: ↑21 Mar 2018, 14:40

oogiebe wrote: ↑21 Mar 2018, 14:14

gilgamesh wrote: ↑21 Mar 2018, 14:07 I get the feeling they'll try to get a fight with Wilder made by years end because it's honestly as big now as it will ever, and both Joshua and Wilder are vulnerable Champions IMO so postponing it any longer increases the chance of blowing it altogether as either of them could potentially be upset.

If Joshua vs Wilder isn't the go to match to make then AJ vs Povetkin will be. Why do you think he's on the card against Price?

I'm a Wilder fan (a reasonable one), and I don't think Wilder's handlers would make that fight. At least not Fury's first fight out. He is so damn difficult to fight.

Nobody even mentioned Fury. Fury isn't even worth talking about until he comes back against anybody at this point. I don't consider him relevant to the current conversation about the division until he makes himself relevant again.

Hmmm...how did I get that wrong? Perhaps I read another post on Fury here? Anyway...All I want for Christmas is Joshua/Wilder, anything else falls way short...I'm writing Santa!

Joshua - Wilder winner should face Fury (this is perhaps the best scenario for me).

ValMar wrote: ↑22 Mar 2018, 12:29 Joshua - Wilder winner should face Fury (this is perhaps the best scenario for me).

At least Fury wasn't named Champion Emeritus!

oogiebe wrote: ↑22 Mar 2018, 12:30

ValMar wrote: ↑22 Mar 2018, 12:29 Joshua - Wilder winner should face Fury (this is perhaps the best scenario for me).

At least Fury wasn't named Champion Emeritus!

Without Fury, we will have to wait for Dubois and Hrgović, maybe Joyce, too.......

He won’t beat Parker so he will be fighting Parker in rematch ... that’s why he has rematch clause and Parker doesn’t.

Grailer wrote: ↑22 Mar 2018, 21:47 He won’t beat Parker so he will be fighting Parker in rematch ... that’s why he has rematch clause and Parker doesn’t.

Standard contract for a champion.
Nothing new with this

After Parker, Joshua should fight Wilder for all the straps to get more cred on his side. Then make his America debut against either against Miller or just go ahead and build himself up with rising contender Dubois (getting this out of the way willl ensure Joshua wont have to put up with him when he is 30+). Of course this is all for cred for the future of HW boxing.....

Kuhan Starlord wrote: ↑24 Mar 2018, 07:54 After Parker, Joshua should fight Wilder for all the straps to get more cred on his side. Then make his America debut against either against Miller or just go ahead and build himself up with rising contender Dubois (getting this out of the way willl ensure Joshua wont have to put up with him when he is 30+). Of course this is all for cred for the future of HW boxing.....

Dubois is very young right now, he needs some experience...............

Kuhan Starlord wrote: ↑24 Mar 2018, 07:54 After Parker, Joshua should fight Wilder for all the straps to get more cred on his side. Then make his America debut against either against Miller or just go ahead and build himself up with rising contender Dubois (getting this out of the way willl ensure Joshua wont have to put up with him when he is 30+). Of course this is all for cred for the future of HW boxing.....

I can assure you that Dubois team will be keeping their prospect away from Joshua as long as possible!

At least until he wants to challenge for his own world championship