How long before Brtain has a REAL Heavyweight Champion..

[Riddim]

Along the lines of Lennox Lewis? I believe ANthony Joshua(?) may be the fighter to do it in 4/5 years time. Thoughts?

[IRLangmaid25]

I have not heard much about Anthony Joshua apart from that in the recent World Amateur Championships he defeated the Olympic Super Heavyweight Gold Medalist Roberto Cammarelle which has got to take some doing, and he has sparred Tyson Fury and Fury has stated one Buncey's radio show on London Live that Joshua has had the edge in some of the sparring that they have had. At the moment it looks like it is going to be Fury through his activity and his raw potential but I do not think he will be fighting for a World title until early to mid 2013 at the earliest.

[yiddo14]

No idea. Big Josh fought superbly in the worlds. Let's hope he continues to progress.

[crusader]

No active Brit heavyweight will become a dominant force in the division like Lewis was, and it's much too early to be making grand claims about a 22 year old who hasn't fought in the pro ranks.

[dr_devious]

Price can also win a world title in the post Klitschko era

[crusader]

Price hasn't beaten anyone who is remotely near world class, so I'm not sure if he will be able to cut it at that level.

[Karl Jade]

Price hasn't beaten anyone who is remotely near world class, so I'm not sure if he will be able to cut it at that level.

Price shouldn't be fighting world class opposition at this stage of his career. McDermott is a very, very good test for him.

As for someone 'along the lines of Lennox Lewis,' it simply won't happen for a long, long time, if ever.

[crusader]

Price hasn't beaten anyone who is remotely near world class, so I'm not sure if he will be able to cut it at that level.

Price shouldn't be fighting world class opposition at this stage of his career. McDermott is a very, very good test for him.

As for someone 'along the lines of Lennox Lewis,' it simply won't happen for a long, long time, if ever.

Of course he shouldn't, but until he beats someone who is a world class fighter or close to it, I don't see how people can say that he will be a world champion.

[Scrap]

Like the look of Joshua.

[Tunney]

David Price and Tyson Fury are both potential heavyweight champions. It will be wide open after the Klitschkos retire.

They should not fight each other until they both have belts in about 6 or 7 years time.

[mrbassie]

well the gap between Fitzsimmons and Lewis was only about 100 years...

[Riddim]

well the gap between Fitzsimmons and Lewis was only about 100 years...

Indeed,but Europe is the new dominate force in Heavyweight Boxing.
We waited 100 years for Lewis then immediately has Bruno 0 HIde and Akinwande.

[Mensa07]

A beltholder? probably not that long.

A great champion? in the company of Tyson, Marciano and Louis etc? probably never.

IMO.

[Craig14]

I don't think too long either and it wasn't that long ago David Haye was champion, I believe Lewis was one of the best Heavyweight champions of all-time so he's pretty hard to emulate but I don't see why we won't have an alphabet champion in the not too distant future.

[mrbassie]

well the gap between Fitzsimmons and Lewis was only about 100 years...

Indeed,but Europe is the new dominate force in Heavyweight Boxing.
We waited 100 years for Lewis then immediately has Bruno 0 HIde and Akinwande.

Yeah but they were just belt holders, the op says real champion.

[Quixall]

If you are talking about a "real" heavyweight champion of the likes of Lennox Lewis, then you will be waiting a long time. Lennox has been the best British heavyweight by a country mile, though it has to be said that the competition hasn't been that hot over the years. The next best after Lewis has been Cooper, Bugner, Bruno and Haye. Hide i don't really count as he never mixed with the best apart from his demolision by Bowe who needed an alphabet title at the time. The same could be said of Bent, Akinwande et al and of course it has to be noted that Bugner and Cooper never won a world title.

Lennox was a special heavyweight and had all the attributes needed to be a top player in the division and fought everyone at the time apart from Riddick Bowe which would have been a great fight. The next British heavyweight champion will come after the Klitschko's reign has ended and Fury will certainly be in the frame at that point. I have my doubts as to whether Price will be able to operate at that level, but the division will be trememdously weak when the Klitschko's go and i can see at least a shot at the heavyweight belt for price. As for the Joshua kid, it's too early to make any judgements.

The heavyweight division will be up for grabs after the Klitschko's have retired but out of the current crop i don't see any being able to dominate over a period of time. Strange thing is Haye could have been one of the fighters to dominate the division, but alas he has now retired. The last thing i will say is that you are ultimately defined by who you fight and the quality of those opponents, which is why Lewis has the reputation. He fought Klitschko, Holyfield, Tyson, Ruddock, Bruno, Briggs, Tua, Mercer, Morrison, which is quite an impressive list. The likes of Fury could well become a heavyweight champion down the line, but they will only become a "real" heavyweight if the opposition is good enough to really test them and are regarded very highly by critics of the sport. If not then your Fury's, Prices etc of the future will just be regarded as alphabet champions in a poor divison.

[Old bones Ian]

I think we all look at British heavies with rose tinted glasses, we as a country have never had any real depth at world class.
We have had a couple of stand out heavies, but usually we have 1 or 2 at any one time that can win some, lose some at a high level.

[Riddim]

well the gap between Fitzsimmons and Lewis was only about 100 years...

Indeed,but Europe is the new dominate force in Heavyweight Boxing.
We waited 100 years for Lewis then immediately has Bruno 0 HIde and Akinwande.

Yeah but they were just belt holders, the op says real champion.

I took your comment to mean it took 100 years to get a belt.
Fitzsimmons was JUST a belt holder. But there might have only been 1 belt.

Lennox is the only real heavyweight champ we have had using the criteria of Real Heayweight CHamp.

You should not have mentioned the 'belt holder' fitzsimmonds. Confused me.

[Quixall]

I think we all look at British heavies with rose tinted glasses, we as a country have never had any real depth at world class.
We have had a couple of stand out heavies, but usually we have 1 or 2 at any one time that can win some, lose some at a high level.

The only stand out heavyweight has been Lewis...................That's it

Bruno and Haye were decent and i think the likes of Bugner and Cooper would have been able to pick up alphabet titles aswell in this era, if you go purely on ability and not weight issues as would be the case with Cooper. I don't really count people like Hide, Bent, Akinwande etc etc

[Lenny]

Indeed,but Europe is the new dominate force in Heavyweight Boxing.
We waited 100 years for Lewis then immediately has Bruno 0 HIde and Akinwande.

Yeah but they were just belt holders, the op says real champion.

I took your comment to mean it took 100 years to get a belt. Fitzsimmons was no more a belt holder. But there might have I my been only 1 belt. Lennox is the only real heavyweight champ we have had using that criteria if RHC. . You should not have mentioned the 'belt holder' fitzsimmonds. Confused me.

I don't think I understand this? Fitz was just a belt holder iyo???

A lot of people mention Fury because they just expect him to improve as a given. For me he is destined to be about as good as Jamel McCline but will probably win a belt of some sort because of his marketability. Would of course love to be proved wrong

Price looks the much better prospect at this stage in my opinion and if he deals with McDermott comfortably, then I would love to see him back early in the new year against stronger opposition. Needs to be more active at this stage to stand a chance

[Riddim]

Yes. I meant Fitz was just a beltholder and nowhere near as good as Lewis.

[mrbassie]

Indeed,but Europe is the new dominate force in Heavyweight Boxing.
We waited 100 years for Lewis then immediately has Bruno 0 HIde and Akinwande.

Yeah but they were just belt holders, the op says real champion.

I took your comment to mean it took 100 years to get a belt.
Fitzsimmons was JUST a belt holder. But there might have only been 1 belt.

Lennox is the only real heavyweight champ we have had using the criteria of Real Heayweight CHamp.

You should not have mentioned the 'belt holder' fitzsimmonds. Confused me.

Well it's your turn to confuse me. Fitzsimmons beat Gentleman Jim Corbett for the linear championship.

[jamesmcdonnell]

I think we all look at British heavies with rose tinted glasses, we as a country have never had any real depth at world class.
We have had a couple of stand out heavies, but usually we have 1 or 2 at any one time that can win some, lose some at a high level.

The only stand out heavyweight has been Lewis...................That's it

Bruno and Haye were decent and i think the likes of Bugner and Cooper would have been able to pick up alphabet titles aswell in this era, if you go purely on ability and not weight issues as would be the case with Cooper. I don't really count people like Hide, Bent, Akinwande etc etc

For me, Bruno was a better HW than Haye, he fought far stiffer opposition generally - was valuev any better than McCall - probably not? Sure, Bruno lost a few, and fought some palookas, but he also iced a tonne of heavyweight opposition, and his fight with Lewis, even though it was a loss, stands him in good stead.

[Riddim]

Yeah but they were just belt holders, the op says real champion.

I took your comment to mean it took 100 years to get a belt.
Fitzsimmons was JUST a belt holder. But there might have only been 1 belt.

Lennox is the only real heavyweight champ we have had using the criteria of Real Heayweight CHamp.

You should not have mentioned the 'belt holder' fitzsimmonds. Confused me.

Well it's your turn to confuse me. Fitzsimmons beat Gentleman Jim Corbett for the linear championship.

And Buster Douglas beat Tyson.

Mccall beat Lewis.

[Riddim]

I think we all look at British heavies with rose tinted glasses, we as a country have never had any real depth at world class.
We have had a couple of stand out heavies, but usually we have 1 or 2 at any one time that can win some, lose some at a high level.

The only stand out heavyweight has been Lewis...................That's it

Bruno and Haye were decent and i think the likes of Bugner and Cooper would have been able to pick up alphabet titles aswell in this era, if you go purely on ability and not weight issues as would be the case with Cooper. I don't really count people like Hide, Bent, Akinwande etc etc

For me, Bruno was a better HW than Haye, he fought far stiffer opposition generally - was valuev any better than McCall - probably not? Sure, Bruno lost a few, and fought some palookas, but he also iced a tonne of heavyweight opposition, and his fight with Lewis, even though it was a loss, stands him in good ste
ad.

Bruno is better than Haye at heavyweight.