Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua have revived the heavyweight division which has been dormant now for a decade. Wilder dispatched Bermane Stiverne in one round. Joshua beat up a game but overmatched Carlos Takam. And now we can look forward to the biggest heavyweight fight since a faded Mike Tyson took on Lennox Lewis in Memphis back in 2002.
Wilder is a finisher with devastating power. Stiverne was the only fighter to go the distance with him and Wilder made quick work of him in their rematch. Wilder is unbeaten and wants Joshua and has called him out. Boxing always has a place in the sports world but when it has big-time heavyweights that are legitimate stars or on the verge of become stars, boxing is healthier. Joshua is already a big deal in his native Great Britain and announced himself to the world with an impressive win over Wladimir Klitschko in a fight-of-the-year candidate. Joshua has stopped every fighter he has gotten into the ring with. So the prospect of the division’s two best fighters getting together is salivating. Both men pack quite a punch and when you watch heavyweights, you expect to see someone get knocked out. With Wilder and Joshua you can expect a violent ending. And that is exactly what the fight needs. Living up to expectations is the most important aspect of a heavyweight championship fight of this magnitude.
Don’t get me wrong, Klitschko was a great champion. But too often he fought what could be perceived as boring fights or against opponents who had no business challenging for his belts. The king of the heavyweight division is always perceived as the torch bearer for the sport. With Klitschko being bland both in the ring and personality wise, we saw the rise of the lower division champions like Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. Now Joshua and Wilder have the ability to tilt the attention back to the top. It is important for both of them to put forth an effort that leaves people buzzing.
Now the best part of the Wilder-Joshua summit meeting is both fighters are meeting at their peak. Wilder is the older of two but unless he suffers a devastating knockout at the hands of Joshua we expect multiple fights between them. So the big question is when and where. Given that both men fought within a week of each other, we would venture to say perhaps 6 months from now or perhaps sooner. Given the looming rematch between GGG and Canelo with a likely date of Cinco de Mayo weekend, they won’t want to interfere with that mega fight. So perhaps early April this fight happens or over the summer. The hype train can build up what will be one of the biggest fights of 2018. Expect this fight to take place in New York or Las Vegas. If Joshua should win and there is a rematch, then expect to see him defend on his home turf in front of a monster crowd.
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