The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

Wilder, Joshua set for face-off

A Deontay Wilder vs Anthony Joshua fight could be on the cards. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Roar Pro
5th April, 2018
2

And so the two crown heavyweights now have a clear path to conflict.

The only (relevant) titleholders now stand at opposing ends of the laneway. Routes of circumvention look few and far between, meaning that these dangerous enemies will meet in a narrow street. I hope contractual obligations don’t halt the process and we can feast on a highly anticipated heavyweight bout once more.

Over the weekend Anthony Joshua dispatched Kiwi heavyweight Joseph Parker in a cagey contest that started and remained in nervous jeopardy for its entirety. Let’s start with a brief autopsy.

There’s some controversy in my belief that as much as the masses consider Deontay Wilder the one with lesser credentials, AJ really hasn’t shown that’s he’s the definitive top dog. Well, sort of.

What I really mean is that he’s not the invincible megatron everyone believes he is. His victory over Parker was sound without either fighter really locking horns. Joshua landed some nice check hooks and the jab found a regular home, which stunned the Kiwi momentarily on a few occasions. However, these moments were a far cry from a fight-ending bomb or dominant flurry.

Joshua was aided by his physique in this era of tall, athletic heavyweights. He utilised the jab and kept Parker at a distance at which he could do no damage. He’s technically solid compared to the current active heavyweights but by no means an impenetrable unit.

Anthony Joshua Joseph Parker

(Nick Potts/PA via AP)

Both fighters employed a low-risk game plan. Parker fought from the back foot the entire night, and while he did a tremendous job in interrupting the rhythm and nullifying the offensive tools of Joshua, his refusal to take a risk himself meant that he was never a chance of winning a decision.

Advertisement

It must be noted that the ubiquitous referee, whose name I can’t remember and frankly should be forgotten, was a blight on the contest. He stopped the inside exchanges with great haste and frequency.

In these heavyweight fights it’s often an opportunity for the shorter man to gain some ground when the fighters get close. Parker had also done his work on defending that booming Joshua uppercut, turning his head effectively and using elbow well. Perhaps it was a plan to fight on the inside at some stage, and it would’ve been nice to see some close-quarters combat. I have a few rounds to Parker, but either way the result was a fair reflection.

Joseph Parker will learn from this. He’s still a few years younger than Joshua and looked like he belonged in the shark tank. After all, no-one has gone the distance with AJ before. Hopefully he refocuses and ups the urgency and aggression in a fight like that. He has wonderful speed and movement for a heavyweight, and if harnessed properly, he can reach the top of this division once more.

[latest_videos_strip]

With the scrap in Cardiff done and dusted, we finally have the two champion thoroughbreds on a collision course with one another. It will inevitably come with some pageantry and preamble, and in reality we will be made wait a while longer yet.

Joshua holds all the cards. He’s the biggest star with the most financial pull. As he crowed after the fight, the British have no need to fight in the USA anymore when the pot of gold lies at their feet.

However, this could be a good opportunity for Joshua to lay a foundation for an American following, a heavyweight unification bout in the spiritual home of boxing, Las Vegas.

Advertisement

Fury continues to insert himself into the narrative, and he’s an undeniable risk to anyone. The undefeated part of both fighters’ records are imperative to the marketability of the fight.

Domestically that fight will be a monster and it will bring an astronomical pay packet, so it may be considered. In reality it will be kept in the bank and Joshua will likely have a tune-up before the Wilder showdown.

Deontay Wilder

(Al Bello/Getty Images)

Wilder has no reason to avoid the Joshua match-up – in fact he should seek it. His technical flaws have been well documented before, but as Joshua has shown, he’s further from the finished article than Wilder is and is in with a decent puncher’s chance.

Fighting Dillian Whyte or Dominic Breazeale are both options for an interim bout to keep the interest. Joshua is probably the only one who can raise Wilder’s public profile, though, and it is difficult to see why he would take a major risk before then. If he manages to knock out the megastar Brit, his compatriots might finally sit up and take notice.

With alternatives being somewhat limited and hazardous, securing this fight will be a significant and positive outcome for the sport. There’s not much more you can add to the menu for this fight. It’s for the undefeated, undisputed heavyweight champion, for US vs UK bragging rights and for the athletic prowess argument, and it will almost certainly end up with someone flat on their back gazing at the bright lights.

One can only hope this comes to fruition.

Advertisement
close