By Tris Dixon
NOT every Mike Tyson performance was an annihilation. Not every Muhammad Ali bout was poetic. Not every Lennox Lewis contest was an exhibition. Not every Joe Louis win came from the textbook and not every Rocky Marciano victory resulted in destruction.
Of course it’s too early to hold Anthony Joshua in that kind of esteem, but like it or not, he is the heir to the throne of great heavyweights having cast aside probably the third best big man on the planet with relative ease.
His win over Joseph Parker was not emphatic, mesmeric or even entertaining. But he got the job done, the same way Tyson did against Bonecrusher Smith, the way Lewis did against David Tua, the way Ali did against Jimmy Young and the way Marciano did against LaStarza. Move on. Outstanding performances were still in the future for all of them and Joshua, who now possesses three of the four major belts after squeezing in six world title fights in his first 21 outings as a pro, is in no hurry. Nor should he be.
As he assessed afterwards, he’s not the finished article, even though he’s at the pinnacle of the sport. And that’s a hard spot to be in, needing to learn, needing rounds, needing experience while having to satisfy the bloodthirsty nature of thousands in sold-out arenas and millions watching in 215 worldwide territories.
Yet the hate for Joshua is strong, deep and real. They hold him accountable for what happens on his undercards, the ticketing for his events, any sign of a fight that is not Hagler-Hearns, alleged racist comments he’s made to Eddie Chambers and for not having a whiter than white past. He is apparently incapable of change, not able to grow into a role model and culpable for everything negative he can be hit over the head with. He is ‘Femi the Watford thug’ and always will be.
They claim the real Joshua is the street tough, not the manicured ‘AJ’ that is presented to us.
Joshua would not be the first man who, through boxing, sport and discipline, turned his ship around and – believe it or not – changed, matured or more succinctly, grew up. And what better message to send to London teenagers in a city struggling with an on-going knife crime battle, that you can head in a different direction with a blend of decent life choices, ambition and determination.
Search for the negatives in anyone and you can find them, be it Tyson, Ali, Marciano or Lewis. The same who shoot holes in a fighter’s record will also aim rocket launchers at their characteristics, back-story or personal lives.
Anyone is doing well in life not to have their flaws, to have never made mistakes and to have no regrets over any indiscretions from their childhoods, adolescence, teens or before they became fully responsible and accountable for their actions.
Of course, things can be and have been overlooked if entertainment is given. Arturo Gatti was not whiter than white, yet he was defined by the action he gave us.
But last night’s fight between two unbeaten heavyweight champions was not scintillating. While it was intriguing, those in the TV trucks were hard-pushed to put together any meaningful highlight packages.
Joshua controlled the distance for long periods. Parker was often unable to get by the jab as he rotated around the ring’s peripheries.
Much was made of Joshua coming in lighter than he had done against Carlos Takam, and he looked more nimble and lasted the course well, even during the middle rounds when Parker seemed to be warming into the bout having been frozen out in the early going.
There was an eye-catching shot here or there but nothing that either fighter was able to make a significant impression with. Parker was plucky but fighting from a distance from which he could not land, kept at a range from which he could not triumph.
And when the fight threatened to shift to close-quarters, referee Giuseppe Quartarone intervened at every feasible opportunity. He murdered the bout as a spectacle. There had been times when Joshua and Parker looked prepared to get it on and scrap, but Quartarone – so inexperienced for such a high level assignment – torpedoed any opportunity for it to get going.
The scores were too wide, with two at 118-110 and one at 119-110 though there were many ringsiders who saw that type of fight, and there was no doubt who won. Parker admitted he had been dethroned by the better man.
The pulse never soared beyond resting heart rate watching, yet Joshua will still be a hot ticket. And there will still be haters. Some said it was John Ruiz-type fight. There were boos at the final bell. But he’s further unified the fragmented heavyweight titles and has just one more to collect, Deontay Wilder’s WBC belt. He called out the American, said he would “spark him out” and that garnered some headlines, particularly after Wilder had made his own hours before saying he wanted “a body on his record.”
Joshua-Wilder doesn’t need hype and boxing doesn’t need that sort of ‘hype’ one bit, whether it was said in jest or taken out of context. Fighters should never utter words along those lines.
But, as we have discovered, boxers are far from flawless.
Yet Joshua did something he had not done before and also something he would have to do at some stage. He went the distance. He boxed a tactical, controlled and disciplined fight, ticking boxes for smoother footwork, a more refined jab (if lacking in precision) and patience. He did not tire because he largely dictated what was going on.
Some were not satisfied. Some will never like him or even warm to him while others will praise him blindly. There is a sensible spot somewhere in the middle.
But the important thing is he knows where he is and where he is going. Six world title fights in 21 bouts, unifying three of the major belts. He has eyes on the fourth prize. No, he is not the finished article and he clearly understands that, but life at the pinnacle has to be pretty good.
Maybe it is not about where he has been, but about where he is going. And boxing will be richer for the ride.
