Batfink

A star in his own right Joshua is a big star in uk he has sold football stadiums and that’s not necessarily a common occurrence. It’s a fantastic achievement and with that success perhaps a avoid risks strategy has started to creep in particularly if he can generate huge sums fighting tomato cans. The UK sports platform is dominated by Sky Sports PPV and now BT sports PPV are coming strong. Travelling to US Joshua has a guaranteed purse propped up by DAZN and there’s considerable debate around their US subscribers. DAZN platform is a new streaming service offering which is based on a month fee for subscribers. There has been talk that Joshua’s last fight was watched by around 16k subscribers in US. DAZN is not currently in the league of the big tv networks in US. As such this service probably can not offer the level of exposure Joshua needs in the mainstream market to garner interest from a wide spectrum of fans. Wilder vs Fury II has that added benefit of access to a much larger US based audience through the mainstream networks. It’s going to be very interesting watching the big three heavyweights going head to head in the US for publicity and exposure. Don’t be surprised if the biggest heavyweight name from the UK in US is Tyson Fury

It’s good news Joshua is travelling it’s a shame it’s after the prevailing wind changed direction. Miller is not bad not sure he is up to the challenge don’t think he is in Joshua’s league to cause him any serious trouble although I would expect anybody who fights for a title getting in the best shape possible so we should see the best Miller. It’s pretty much a foregone conclusion and I have no interesting in that fight, For me the heavyweight fights to watch will be Dillian Whytes outing vs Ortiz/Breazeale, and of course the big one wilder vs fury II that should be a real barnstormer both have the bit between the teeth and it’s gonna be epic.

I’m not sure that an actual deal has been sent to Frank Warren and the conversation between Fury and Hearn didn’t bear any fruit when Fury pushed him for further details. Whatever you think of the situation it’s does come across that matchroom say 1 thing and do another. Eddie Hearn and matchroom have very little credibility as a result and are facing bigger and bigger questions that even their fan base are finding difficult to defend. Anything they say now can and does change. It’s remarkable he doesn’t get pulled up on it more often. If there is a deal split of 60/40 that cant be bad and one that’s seriously worth considering. Unfortunately Matchroom seem to be making a huge song and dance about deals they haven’t submitted and are clearly not serious about at all. From my perspective looking into matchroom activity on how they conduct themselves it certainly doesn’t instil confidence that the current #1 Heavyweight is actually the best in the division. AJ has no alternative at present but sit in the shadows and watch the growing numbers for Tyson Fury vs Wilder II and watching his own decline in popularity and revenue. Hearn is running round to the WBO to ensure they don’t strip AJ of the title if he doesn’t fight Dillian Whyte and ensure they sanction a match with miller or anyone else they can throw in the mix and therefore approve a delay for the mandatory defence. In my honest opinion as a minimum the WBO should force that mandatory defence immediately and call in the purse bids. Either way what good is #1 heavyweight if he only cherry picks opposition.

In actual fact the only way AJ can become the ring champion is by facing fury not wilder. If he fights wilder and wins he will be undisputed but not lineal or ring according to both the current ring and TBRB rankings and that’s painting the real picture. The ring stripped fury in Q1 of 2018 so can’t reinstate him so easily that would make a mockery of their respected albeit finished position since golden boy takeover. The only option they had was to make fury #2 . However that conversation is missing the point it’s about reflection on what makes the real #1 champion. It’s not Joshua I see him as a custodian and a paper champion. It’s not wilder as he is also a custodian and paper champion and it’s not fury as his inactivity means he cannot credibly retain his status. So who is number 1 well at this point in time it’s down to individual opinion and I would say the #1 is fury based on his skill and the fact that Joshua has no chance in touching this Mayweatheresque fighter as demonstrated by his sublime mastery of the sweet science. In addition Fury is the guy to beat even though Joshua has all the titles. Fury doesn’t need Aj as much as Aj need Fury. Fury won it all and was #1 Aj hasn’t won it all and needs to beat him to be #1. All 3 need to consolidate their claim by facing the other 2. I think it’s time for Joshua vs Fury the earlier the better as it provides ample time for the looser to re adjust and try again. In the end all 3 have to face each other it’s the only way to determine the best. Their previous records don’t mean much other than fury’s who beat a prime Klitschko and an undefeated wilder the other 2 well they ain’t nothing special until they go out and prove it. I don’t buy Joshua’s record it’s good but over rated, it makes the statisticians happy because Parker and Breazeale are nothing and over the course of time will only make that clearer. I believe the rhetoric should be simple beat the best to be The best. The question then is who is the best? I am suprised at wilder and his retention of the wbc heavyweight title. Historically the wbc would only sanction big fights and big mandatories so that their belt would hold the most credence in the sport so how on earth have we got to the situation whereby a wbc champion is 40-0 without credible opposition. The debate about the orthodox lineage of the lineal championship is another hot topic. Right now if anyone can hold that status it has to be fury otherwise fight it out and let’s see who has the minerals.

3 solid elite heavyweights I like this article I think it’s a fair assessment of the scenario. I would speculate that in a Wilder vs Joshua fight however that Wilder is a slight favourite reason being that he has enourmous punching ability and he caught fury who is nigh on impossible to hit. We know that he can also take a punch from the Ortiz fight. Joshua on the other hand is susceptible to knockdowns in addition Deontay goes for the kill once he gets a knockdown and further has the conditioning to last 12 rounds. So for me wilder wins that by TKO but fury Joshua I don’t believe that Joshua has any ring smarts to beat fury and that would be a complete one sided 12 rounds for Fury. I believe for those reasons alone all three need to fight multiple times so that the looser can go and make adjustments and demonstrate his adaptability. The Mayweather era has been overly focused on the 0 I believe a true champion fights all comers but a great Champion comes back from a defeat to reclaim lost titles to cement his place as a undisputed champion or best of era. In the real world in elite sport the differences are minute so if you face an elite boxer you may well loose but to come back make adjustments to win clearly demonstrates that you are not one dimensional. For me it’s not the first fight between all 3 that is interesting it’s the 2nd and 3rd because that shows who’s really who. I really hope we are in an era where the landscape and appetite is about that and not just money percentages and ducking. Are they 3 real men are they capable of legendary status I know 1 in there definitely is and that’s Tyson Fury let’s see what the next few years hold for us in this division.

Interesting points but I think when completing an analysis it’s important to move away from being one dimensional. My view on Joshua is he simply isn’t quick enough to catch fury and that wilder will knock you out if caught that’s guaranteed or simply as close as Joshua will no way be able to avoid getting hit and when he does he will highly likely go down. In Joshua Wilder it’s really about who connects first I just fancy wilder more because he has some serious speed with fury I think his ring generalship movement and skill he beats both. However as I mentioned anyone of these can win the first fight between each other and the real test is not 1 fight but 2 or 3 fights. In the heavyweight division it can be over very quick these are big guys one punch can change the game and that’s that. I think In these forums people are far to focused on singular outings and I don’t think that demonstrates who’s the best I think fighting 2 or 3 times betweeen the best in the division determines the best and I truly think that any1 of them could be the best over the course of multiple fights. In saying that I like Tyson Fury the most he reminds me of Mayweather not many knock outs but you can’t lay a glove on him. Both Klitschko and Wilder said they had a bad night and could be better I’m not sure that’s actually true I think their night was fine and Tyson’s skill just upsets the rhythm of these boxers. Klitschko mentioned I didn’t expect him be so quick and if I look back I feel Klitschko is best of both Joshua and Wilder but I think he got schooled(I say that loosely) Klitschko just could not get a shot off he was just nullified. All this speculation is rendered mute considering the nature of heavyweights they all have a shout in being number 1 if the boxing Gods were oh so generous all we would see in the heavyweight division is these 3 face off for the next 3 years and throw the belts into the bin...

Timing movement conditioning reaction that’s what changes once you fight some one that’s excellent. Those are all experience based then you can make conscious adjustments such as increase jabs follow up more on certain punches identify which punches put the oposition into discomfort not pain but put them in uncomfortable positions so weakened their ability you learn about yourself and understand what you need to change some can be changed some things are harder and is gameplan. This was Tyson’s first fight on his comeback the others were simply outings of no purpose. He learned nothing from the first two or than refresh his memory and mood on fight night.

I think AJ has the attributes but does he have the hunger and dedication to work on his craft of boxing. I would completely demolish my team and go train with Abel Sanchez up in big bear. If he is serious about being the best of this generation. All the team he has are a bunch of yes men that add 0 value. It’s time to go on a soul searching journey and dig deep to find the animal. I have always perceived AJ as overhyped and have never been convinced of his boxing ability although I felt his conditioning seemed superior to most in the sport against Ruiz even that had vanished. If he believes he can change/fix his flaws in a couple of months with the same team then I must say that his head is in the clouds and he has lost grasp of reality. Even if he beats Ruiz should he proceed with a rematch it’s just a covering for the cracks he showcased on fight night. He will inevitably come unstuck when he fights the other big boys in the division. Joshua has flaws that weren’t news in his fight with Ruiz but were exposed with more damaging results. Those flaws will still be there in the rematch. But right now he has been handed a gift of 0 pressure. He should reject the rematch and rebuild to come back stronger. I think the problem here is clear that Matchroom want to continuously milk AJ and they have no interest in what’s best for him and his career. There’s an overly unhealthy focus on money. They want him back in the rematch now to maintain their leverage in the division. They believe they can win but I’m not so sure. Aj needs to 1000% sure he wants the rematch else bye bye Mr Sponsorship Deals.

I’m not hating I’m simply declaring the irony. Isn’t it amusing how things have changed rewind back to all Hearns interviews before the fury wilder I and then after the fight. It was negative and suspiciously defensive and now they want to compete in a purse bid ... now if you don’t find that funny

There’s a lot going on in the heavyweight division and although AJ has paved the way in his last few fights in terms of revenue and image it seems that whole carefully crafted creation that is AJ is under an assault from multiple corners and in serious danger of crumbling. AJ cannot hold all the belts he currently does without fighting the mandatories hence why many boxers in the past have relinquished titles to defend a singular title against an opposition that may bring in large revenue. Aj is at a crossroad now and although matchroom have planned to get him to this point they haven’t really looked at what happens next considering the impact of fury vs wilder I which was a seismic event for the heavyweight division. Things have changed and shifted and matchroom need a new strategy. In the short term AJ needs a fight not necessarily in April whether he chooses a mandatory defence or a voluntary is his choice but it does seem that his interest in the likes of Whyte is finishing fast. Whyte is an unfortunate soul not a elite boxer but a solid opposition who is becoming one of those dangerous fights where there’s not enough money and too much risk. Matchroom strategy has always been highest revenue lowest risk post Klitschko. So now even Whyte seems a bit of a long shot Aj has to decide whether he fights Whyte now or carries on a different course. There’s only so long he can avoid Whyte not to mention the bigger prospects of Fury and Wilder who should be his main focus. How this story now unfolds rests heavily in matchroom hands they have already dropped the ball so many times in the last 6 months that their credibility is in the gutter. Can they appease the fight fans and give them what they truly desire?

The boxing politics are now international and these comments from Arum certainly confirm AJ is known on a global stage. I’m convinced that all the other boxers in the heavyweight division bar Tyson fury are looking on at AJ with envious eyes on his revenue, stardom and general appeal in the most prominent division in boxing. It’s only natural that all promotors will want a piece of the revenue pie that AJ is generating and ride the wave of renewed interest in the division. Aj has really given a shot in the arm of heavyweight boxing drawing the public attention to the division which was at an all time low during the Klitschko era. Life is built on failures and successes and yes matchroom and Aj may have missed a trick by not putting this Wilder uprising to bed when it arose with a vengeance Q3 2018. It’s was an opportune moment that was miss managed and poorly handled by matchroom leading to a rebirth of the Tyson Fury Phoenix and the propulsion of Wilder into the eye of the mainstream media and boxing fraternity. It was a huge mistake and now Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder have been given the platform to build their individual reigns or claims to the undisputed or lineal crowns. Joshua’s is somewhat in the slipstream but that is by no means the end of the story and like all failures we can learn from them and move forward. It’s now time for Joshua to step up or shut up and consolidate his position over the division. He has to show Fury and Wilder who is boss and who is number #1 it’s become more about reputation than purse splits. It’s times like these that you cannot be wasting time debating percentages it’s time to demand an answer to the question that has risen of who really is the best by taking the pretenders to the throne into the ring and decimating them with devastating effect. Take a look at what Tyson Fury did he stepped into the ring with the most devastating heavyweight knockout artist in recent times after almost 3 years out of the game. That’s the type of character boxing needs and that’s the level of challenge that we should expect from a heavyweight champion the willingness to take on all comers with a pure desire to demonstrate who’s the best It’s time to separate the men from the boys Cometh the hour cometh the man

Merry Go Round I think they put themselves in it with the Wilder protecting thing, first they place Gerald washington into the WBC ranking, a few weeks after the Wilder fight was annouced to give the Wilder fight some validity, up to that point Washington was unheard of and didn't fight anyone in the WBC ranking to get up in their ranking. Then the whole Breazeale/Molina/Whyte situation, then Fury came from no where and got a shot. To compound it all, Fury wasn't tested in accordance with the Top 10 WBC ranking prior to the Wilder/Fury annoucement. They basically make the rules up as they go along, it's either to appease/Protect Wilder or their pockets. Breazeale was used to block Whyte from fighting Wilder, now they have mandated the fight between those two, what guarantee is there that the winner gets the Wilder/Fury winner? We would await the next WBC spin. I think we are about to witness how farcical all these governing bodies are, let’s explore the possible options so the winner of Breazeale vs Whyte is mandatory for WBC strap. Now Fury vs Wilder II is about to take place sanctioned by the WBC if Wilder looses the belt there’s a rematch clause which I’m guessing the WBC have to sanction, after the rematch the winner may then want to negotiate an undisputed unification bout with the Joshua assuming he is still champion. Where does that leave the WBC, do they sanction that bout as a unification is treated higher than a mandatory or do they demand the mandatory defence because the unification bout in itself maybe at least 2 bouts. They are currently attempting to create the mandatory by these eliminators so what use is that if they don’t force the mandatory defence? This leaves WBC highly vulnerable to criticism and begins to dimish their value in the heavyweight division. If we follow this pattern of these champions fighting each other the WBC mandatory won’t come into play till April/May 2022. This eads us to a possibility of forcing mandatories and/or the main players fury/Joshua/wilder relinquishing the belts to fight each other as the status/revenue will be too hard to ignore and the belts become token gestures. In fact that’s my preferred option they just relinquish their belts if forced into a mandatory and fight it out and without warning the governing bodies would come running back to sanction those bouts just to get some creditability.

He has Hearn by the balls, I can’t remember anyone with the gall to call a fight without the fighters present, its like a wedding reception without the bride and groom. I must say Hearn is bad news for himself, although an entertaining fool to a limit. Ruiz flattened and destroyed Aj and those that say Ruiz’s has no balls then I guess a fat and flabby nobody with no balls with last minute notice destroyed your boy. He general public are so focused on contracts that they seem to miss the point. The contract is not everything, life is a game of poker even if you think you hold the best hand. If your opponent goes all in you may have to fold because you can’t risk the loss. Hearn can not afford to loose - the lawsuit is worse for Hearn and AJ than it is for Ruiz. They don’t want that hassle they need those belts to keep the cash cow alive. No belts no money or well I mean who ever has the belts holds the purse, the power the negotiations everything. Contract or not they gonna have to pay Ruiz some serious money because no one is falling for their empty threats. There no way Hearn will shoot his prize cow in the head by doing that move.

It seems like Tyson Fury has jumped the queue and gone way ahead in his exposure to USA. Something that should have been all Joshua’s. While AJ waits idle in the slip steam in a fight with Whyte that’s a big domestic dustup, Fury is solidifying his name and brand in the international market in the US mainstream. All the US media outlets are salivating at the prospect of a wilder vs fury II and as a result in the international market fury is fast becoming a very big household name in USA. There is no bigger place to cement your legacy than in America when it comes to sports. Keep a close eye on the ever growing PPV numbers ...

Every time this gentlemen opens his pie hole I’m aghast at the counter productive nature of his comments. This guy is not wired correctly and every statement he makes works against him. He should refrain from saying anything if he knew what was good for him. Following this saga of Joshua post povetkin has been insightful and as matchroom are now under the microscope the pressure has certainly been building. This latest output from matchroom demonstrates how under pressure Eddie Hearn feels, his back is now firmly against the wall and predictably a backlash is expected. I must say I am surprised at the level Eddie has stooped too and made the wilder scenario very personal. There are many views out there on the combinations and permutations of wilder fury Joshua and in fact many have said that it is possible if wilder looses he will be left adrift and out in the wilderness. Firstly I have to disagree with that sentiment simply because ‘styles make fights’ so somebodies 0 has got to go and when it does they will continue to hold tremendous value in this division. I’d like to finish this piece on Joshua and his supposed desire to be undisputed champion. The whole premise behind the undisputed status is to take on all comers particularly the best in the division. It’s a true statement of intent because now all governing bodies rest in your hands and all worthy fighters will want a piece so as a result you have to have an appetite that reflects that status. If you do not intend to attract all the best in the division then the approach is to relinquish all title but one and continue on the path of mandatories and voluntaries. Once you make your bed you must lie in it. Personally I believe there’s no value on Joshua holding the belts he should relinquish 3 of them and allow other contenters to become champions as an example relinquish the WBO and allow say Dillian vs Fury to fight for it. Then we have multiple champions and they can all go about earning a big slice of the pie. As it is Joshua is holding most of the belts so he is drawing everybody to him, but then at the same time he is running and hiding from the big challenges. Allowing wilder vs fury I was a mistake but allowing wilder vs fury II is a bigger mistake. A champion is defined by the statements of intent not by taking on someone like miller in NYC that’s like a poor voluntary for a single belt it’s not the measure of a man who is unified with a desire to be undisputed. It’s strikes me that Joshua himself hasn’t come to terms with the totality of his position. As Lennox lewis would say ... put on your big boy pants ...

Usyk is an interesting cat in the heavyweight division now that’s where he has to go. He is a great prospect but how will he do against the size of the current heavyweights is going to be a compelling watch. I have seen that there is talk from Hearn of placing Usyk as the mandatory for AJ by the WBO. If that is true then I must say that the credibility of that organisation is clearly in the gutter. I understand that Whyte is currently mandatory for AJ and if push comes to shove and Whyte can’t agreee terms there would have to be purse bids for that match. This is the promotors power in the field of boxing with the promise of money can come changes within the fickle ABC governing bodies. I truly hope that Whyte gets his shot even if I do class him as a B rated fighter and not one to be mentioned in the same breathe as Fury/Wilder/Joshua. Whyte has earnt his place and it’s only right to give him his dues. At a minimum the standard split for a mandatory would be a start is that a 70/30? He is certainly better than a lot of the other B Class opponents. If I can get to grips with the AJ gravy train is it possible that they now want to duck(I say it loosely)Whyte and move to Miller and Usyk. That’s got to be a new low, I wonder how low can you go AJ ... how low can you go ?

Lineal / Ring #1 Heavyweight Champion The lineal title is in my view the true title in the division above the alphabets. This title has historically depicted the actual best fighter in the division and is won by the guy who beat the guy. In cases where this doesn’t happen then the top two ranked fighters in the division fight for the status the winner would be awarded the ring magazine belt in my view the most coveted crown. Now the heavyweight division at present has come up with a bit of a conundrum or a unique set of circumstances which have arguably 3 different individuals with differing status and all with a legitimate claim to the be the best heavyweight. Wilder - WBC champion - undefeated. He has fought Luis Ortiz and Tyson Fury. Aj - Unified Champion - undefeated. He has only really fought Klitschko a bonidife ex champion Fury - lineal Champion? undefeated He has fought Klitschko and Wilder away and was the lineal Champion until earlier this year when he was stripped by Ring In order to establish the real champion they all have to fight each other and that’s the only way to know and they all need multiple bouts - 6 fights 3 per person - will never happen in my opinion. So who is the best? I believe the number 1 in the division is Tyson Fury he beat Klitschko and in my view beat Wilder. But he was rightfully stripped of his lineal(Ring) status early 2018. He will fight anyone and will fight AJ no problem, which he needs to do to ratify his status as #1 Wilder and Joshua it’s tough to say who is better it could go either way in my view Wilder has shown heart and taken on Tyson and Ortiz both huge huge fights and both fights people want to avoid - Joshua is avoiding both because in my view Aj should have taken Tyson on as soon as he could beat him early in his come back then give him a rematch and should have accepted Wilder when he came to uk to challenge AJ. It seems clear that Ajs camp are not keen on fighting dangerous opposition. I think they are genuinely hiding behind the finances and will not give 50/50 to these guys. In my view they are worth 50/50. AJ team believe his is worth the lion share although that can be argued I think perhaps against wilder/fury 50/50 is fair as the scale of those fights are huge and both bring a lot to the party. Aj believes he’s worth more because he has 4 belts and this is where it becomes very interesting. Ownership of a belt doesn’t necessarily make you the best along the history of boxing they have been many individuals that have held a title but are not necessarily the best in the division - these individuals are known as paper champions. The alphabets are designed to raise revenue to garner public attention. I’m not sure who Aj beat that was worthy of a title except Klitschko but he had already been defeated by fury. The same can be said of Wilder - not sure who he beat(worthy) to be rewarded with the status of champion This is where we yet again come full circle back to lineal or Ring Champion. This is supposed to dispel all arguments and support the real champion normally the unified/undisputed champion is also lineal/ring but because AJ has never been in a fight that involves #1 #2 in the division he hasn’t been crowned although he is ranked 1 he ain’t the ring champion and therefore not lineal either. So to be ranked lineal Champion or Ring Champion #1 It has to be fury vs Aj winner. If Fury vs Wilder 2 happens first neither can be ranked lineal until the winner fights Aj and the same goes for Aj vs wilder even though the winner of that fight would be undisputed he still wouldn’t be lineal or Ring champion until the winner faced Fury and the winner of that bought would be Ring or lineal Champion. Bottom line is the fastest way to find the #1 heavyweight is for fury vs Joshua all other combinations need a minimum of 2 bouts

To me, cleaning out a division means winning all the belts - unless one of the other champions refuses to fight you - and beating all the "name" contenders. Usyk and Crawford cleaned out divisions, but not Ward, and AJ still has a lot to do in order to clean out HW. I guess I see your point you see the alphabets as titles as the symbol of the best and yes that can be used to determine that fact in that way. However you don’t have to hold all the belts to have cleaned up the division I mean having the belts helps the record the tally chart but by no means determines the integrity or value of the champion. It’s really about who you fight in your era hence why there is also a lineal and a pound for pound ranking system. Joshua has fought Parker and Martin for two of his titles and an already defeated Klitschko for the others so is he really the best. According to Ring and TBRB he needs to beat Fury who has no belts to be the lineal. In the end it’s not the number of titles you own that determines your status as number #1 it’s about opposition the holders of belts sometimes are simple custodians or paper champions. Cleaning up a division by collecting titles is totally unnecessary it’s about fighting the best making money and perhaps recognition. Usyk has no one in his division worth fighting and in general most worthwhile cruiserweights move to heavyweight to really prove themselves. Ward destroyed anyone worth while in SMW and beat a very highly rated Kovalev in the division above. I think that he has proved his quality.

I get your point but if you think Joshua has no personality then you're not looking hard enough IMO. https://twitter.com/MatchroomBoxing/status/1100044247355609089?s=19 He may not be as witty as Fury, but his talk is absolutely fine. He is a dumbass plain and simple go and watch the press conference and his official engagements the guys a plonker. Miller has got him pegged and has nailed him exactly how he is. Joshua should destroy Miller in the ring but I tell you he is full of it. This link you have posted is a result of Joshua getting smashed from day 1 on this whole tour. He practically repeated Miller word for word. It was woeful. Joshua does not know who he is and what he represents he is however gifted physically and has great conditioning in the ring.

We also have to agree that Wilder has no skills & counts on matchmaking & his physical abilities. Wilder has NO strategy other than landing a lucky shot, never did, never will. If we are going to be very honest be fair and hold everyone to that same standard. The truth is that the most skilled guy is Fury and he's flawed just like every other over hyped heavy weight including Wilder and AJ. And since we have on our honesty hats lets not forget Wilder avoided Wyhte because he's dangerous, fights better opposition and getting better in each fight. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but not their own facts. I have 0 problem with your assertions however I will say fury is a talented boxer and probably the most complete package he offers something in the heavyweight division you don’t necessarily see very often. He is very tricky and clever boxer and that can be build upon he can work on power on his shots to put more damage on the opponent, he has everything else. When I look across at AJ and Wilder to me it looks like a complete rebuild from scratch. Although with respect to wilder he can take a punch he can survive when he is wobbled and he has one hell of a punch himself. Wilder has more going for him at this point in time and I would never have imagined I would have said that when comparing him to AJ but it has to be noted. It seems quite clear that if you take the fight to Aj he doesn’t have the versatility, experience or skill to adjust to survive. I understand that was only one fight and I hope Aj turns thing around but to me now every single fighter will try and pounce on Aj unless he can fight better in the pocket i feel his days as an elite boxer are behind him and more so it can be argued that he never really had anything in the first place. I hope Aj sees the gravity of the situation he is in, its no longer about creating a legacy it’s about protecting what he has achieved to date. For me this needs to be a wake up call and the beginning of a fresh start for Joshua. I would collapse my camp and rebuild the whole team from scratch. It’s time to get serious as fury and wilder move a few steps ahead of Joshua he needs to showcase why he shouldn’t be left behind.

Boxing is not a computer game. Ward beat 2 of the top men at 168, and ducked the other 2. He then beat one of the top men at 175 twice, both times in highly controversial and dubious ways. Usyk beat everybody, in their own backyards, without favours, fouls or controversy. Usyk >> Ward and it isn't even close. I’m not sure that it’s a worthwhile discussion it’s like clutching at straws. Usyk is in a division of nobodies let’s see him even try and beat a decent heavyweight. When you move weights in the lower divisions you can be giving away a huge advantage in weight and although on the weighin it’s close on fight night it can be up to 20lbs or more. Im not a massive Ward fan I’m a boxing fan and I think ward deserves a little more credit than you are giving as sometimes there’s fights in your division that simply aren’t worth taking. They make no financial sense or career sense or even you may not have the appetite to fight someone because it doesn’t fulfil your own ambition. There may well be an element of ducking but you have to remember a boxer has a limited career span at the top and once they have reached the pinicle they don’t have too many fights left in the tank. Some fights take out more than others. The welterweight division is the one where it’s lit for all the ABCs to fight each other that’s not a common occurrence. Lucian Bute was a paper champion for years was it worth fighting him in a unification bout or undisputed status or would you consider moving up or down in weight to fight another boxer that’s more interesting for your career and gives you multi weight champion status? Those are the real questions facing elite boxers not whether they should hold all belts in a division. I think when your talking Andre Ward you have to consider why he retired...he was bored and had no appetite and further planned to bulk up possibly to take a shot at heavyweight. By the looks of things in the heavyweight division and size of the guys in there he can forget about that unless he can come back looking like a peak Mike Tyson. When judging a boxing career it’s important not be one dimensional, you must follow the fighters journey in life and in the ring. There’s not many great boxers out there in any era but many boxers can participate in great fights. Considering the limited lifetime of a boxer it’s important to choose your opponents carefully to build whatever legacy is important.

1 dementianal Hearn made the offers at the weekend, the WBC order happened yesterday. Again keep up to date or look like an idiot. I guess the loquacious, verbose, chatty lack the vocabulary to articulate their sentiments with a degree of elegance I guess when you only look at the water you can never see what’s going on underneath. Focusing on the pedantic elements are an optical illusion that simply detract from taking in the larger picture. I guess the only way he could have found out is by reading a tabloid paper ... the same singular paper that teaches many how to read and write albeit not very well...

Seriously disappointed with this whole sage between Joshua wilder and fury. As a simple fan I would like to see these guys fight each other in a bunch of trilogies. However it seems that the networks have another route in mind, Tyson Fury signing with ESPN is huge and deserves congratulations and ESPN now have a Tyson Fury for their platform, they now control his fights -when/who/how much and where it’s for them to decide. I respect that decision to get a TV deal and some big commercials behind him cannot hurt. The future now is plainly laid out. Tyson fury is almost having a second career in boxing as he begins his ESPN journey and they need to build his profile in the USA. Wilder also needs a big tv deal but is currently hovering as a free agent with no big network behind him building his profile. The bottom line in all of this is sales the respective dollar value the PPV. The networks want to maximise these and so does Tyson fury and as such fighting wilder now does not make business sense as there’s a substantial PPV revenue to be earns out there in USA and that can only get bigger by using interim fights to build Tyson Fury. I get the business model it is what it is and so there will be some interesting fights to be made but not quite wilder yet. I wouldn’t listen to the rhetoric from frank warren either he is talking nonsense they could have quite easily demanded a condition of signing to ESPN was a wilder rematch as the first fight but they just grabbed this offer with both hands. In my view team fury don’t have the appetite to take on wilder it’s just risky and took a lot out of fury, a fighter only has so much in the tank and some camps are tougher than others and adding in the demands of a 12 round hard fight it can take years off a boxer. Canelo GGG was a similar scenario in that expect Canelo arguably lost the first he had to get back in their to repair his reputation I’m sure he wants a trilogy but those two fights back to back where tough so he has gone on to slow down the demands on his body for a bit before he faces ggg again. Tyson fury is in the hands of the Americans now and they will be managing all aspects of his boxing career during the course of his deal. I’m sure all his fights will be good ones but not necessarily the ones the fans want to see. In this respect we can say good bye to Tyson fighting wilder or Joshua for 1-2 years. The boxing politics demand that Tyson holds a title so ESPN being who they are will be looking to get a title for fury through the back door ... keep an eye on the governing bodies rearranging their respective rules ...

Many people only see one fight one dimension you have to think future and strategy and play your hand. To be fair all the belts out their right now have not been earnt they have been gifted handed out like candy. The belts Joshua has are meanlingless and same for wilder they never defeated anyone of note to get them. It’s all a big game to generate revenue. Belts are used to up the percentage it’s snake oil and these promoters are snake oil salesmen. The reason 50/50 can be argued is simply based on projected revenues of the fight. I apologise before hand but if I take a fight whereby the revenue for that fight it’s 10 times higher than any fight I have been in before I’m entitled to ask for more because people want to see me fight in that match. Wilder may not be worth 50 but who knows and how do you determine it based on what premise historical numbers or belts or both I mean these are all nonsense markers to use. They are meaningless and for those of us who have the fortune to have been educated in an institution where by the clothes we wear to attend these places cost more than the entirety of the cost of your lifetime learning, we obtain at a minimum the acumen to challenge the status quo and the stupidity of their convictions when considering your views are derived from baseless information and formulated through arguably excessive abuse of drugs or alcohol or indeed the benefit from genetics that have been gifted to you through the inbreeding of your forefarthers. In other words it can be argued any which way you choose it’s about what you use to make your argument. To be honest I couldn’t care less what percentage who gets. I’m a spectator and want to watch the best fight the best and all I see is a bunch of panzies who say one thing and do another who use media and spin to cover their real desire. Unfortunately for them there are a few of us who see right through the impotent veil and can clearly identify the smoke and mirrors and recognise that what they are witnessing is not music but just noise... Boxing is a fickle sport it’s about the curve once an unknown enters the foray we want that person to become champion and once they become champion we yearn to see them fall. True legends they are curve agnostic they don’t care where they are they just demonstrate heart desire guts determination and class. The reason it’s not understood is people are too focused on the statistics presented by mainstream media... If you choose go lap it all up ...

It’s intriguing reviewing Hearns comments in relation to the WBC ordering a purse bid at a certain point in time. He said that it’s good to hurry things along. I’m not sure that match needs to be hurried along these two competitors haven’t been wasting time in getting a fight together, so what’s the motivation behind Hearns interest in the direction of Fury Wilder II. Why is he so bent on being involved now after all that he has said since these 2 started their dialogue around the original match in Q3 2018. I guess it’s clear Fury Wilder II disrupts matchrooms plans for Joshua and they certainly won’t want to decide on their date until something comes back in relation to Wilder/Fury. What does this tell us about the state off play in the heavyweight division? It’s clear that the biggest fight now 2019 is Fury vs Wilder II basically AJ is not the top dog at the moment it’s highly likely that Joshua’s revenue will be a lot less than Fury vs Wilder II

Kool Aid When Anthony Joshua fights in the USA, he will take at-least 30,000 fans over there with him. Right now if TEAM match-room wanted to? They could have Anthony Joshua fighting in america against any america heavyweight and in my opinion? It would upstage the Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder rematch 'After Fury & Wilder get their rematch out of the way? They will once again be the shadow of Anthony Joshua. 'It is a myth that Tyson Fury is the people's champion, and fair play he has over come his struggles but? I did not see Mike Tyson getting the same credit for battling depression 'For 70% of his career'. I assume a lot of boxers have suffered with depression. 'A entire set of rules and regulations seems to have been created for Tyson Fury, he is not the only fighter to beat Wladimir Kiltschko? Anthony Joshua beat a better version of Wladimir Kiltschko more conclusively'. So I think this is what Anthony Joshua needs to do now, go to america pretty much reminiscent of Prince Naseem Hamed. Never-mind Tyson Fury & Deontay Wilder, they will both soon realize that THEY have to come after Anthony Joshua. Eddie Hearn & Anthony Joshua are not playing the media game well, and their actions are desperate. Desperate for what? Anthony Joshua is the number 1 heavyweight in the division. He is not prone to boozing or drugs, and he is always in some sort of training regime like a Olympic athlete. If Tyson Fury & Deontay Wilder want to play the waiting game, it will back fire upon them badly. Joshua vs Miller looks set to be announced for NYC June 1. It’s not a fight many fans are remotely interested in and looking at the cross section of boxing there’s much better fights in other divisions. In reading your response Its easily identifiable as a narrative that resides deep within the confines of the narrow minded and dogmatized Joshua acolytes. The positive projections of 30k travelling supporters is an eschewable number. Aj has a broad fan base and doesn’t have the ‘Ricky Hatton Effect’. Wilder vs Fury II will no doubt do much bigger numbers in US than Joshua vs Miller not even the most ardent supports of team AJ could say otherwise in fact Fast Eddie has conceded the same whatever that’s worth. The interesting point to note here is that AJ needs Wilder/Fury more than they need him the reason is that Wilder/Fury have plenty of opposition available to them that can continue their rise on PPV, while AJ is struggling to find an opponent, he will inevitably have to give away a big slice of the pie to secure them. They will fight but the power of negotiations doesn’t test solely with matchroom and Joshua who attempted to create a monopoly until the bogey man Fury re-emerged against Wilder. Tyson Fury is magnanimous figure in boxing, his story against mental health resonates globally as charitable foundations in this area have finally broken into mainstream media and public personalities are underlining how debilitating it can be to any sufferer. It takes time for the public consciousness to understand challenges in life and this particular subject has only recently matured to a point where it’s become widely acknowledged. Fury became the people’s champion when he decided to utilise his platform to support the plight of the people. Tyson Fury defeating Klitschko in his back yard was a significant event in Heavyweight boxing after that defeat Klitschko came to UK with his tail between his legs a broken depressed man facing the end and looking for a last hurray. That’s a whole different person and the weight of expectation would have been heavy coming into Joshua match. Prince Nadeem Hamed was one the most talented and exciting boxers to ever lace up a pair of gloves. It’s very difficult to compare a boxing proponent like that with anyone but If I had to I would say Roy Jones Jr not Joshua a robotic muscle bound plastic body builder with gloves. Prince Naseem’s interviews were just as exciting as his boxing, the most entertaining boxer I have had the pleasure to see. Joshua and Matchroom are obnoxious, Narcissistic personalities and are exhausting the public with their endless effort to satisfy their need for a bottomless pit of money. I commend a men who earns his crust but these guys have a serious problem when it comes to purse splits and pay cheques. The bottom line is that the boxing Gods have granted us a reprieve from the matchroom drivel and the Kool aid that joshua lackeys drink 3x a day. Those of us who refuse to follow their narrative a new script has been written

Fantastic achievement I cannot help but root for the underdog the down and out the one all people say has nothing to give, I cannot help but get behind that it’s amazing to see the rise of someone who was destined to become a cautionary tale. The best boxer in the heavyweight division and therefore the number 1 boxer in the world overall has something attached to his name a deal worthy of his ability.

For all this claim that ESPN reaches more homes than any network means nothing when most of TR shows barely crack 1 million views. Most of the time you pretty much are lost looking for a fight because some game is running late which delays the broadcast of the fights. Loma and Crawford have done big numbers but in reality it isn't much when there were fights on HBO and Showtime that did around the same numbers and they were a premium channel. Wilder can get the same or more exposure fighting on Fox, which has a bigger reach. Wilder is doing what is best and not signing any multi fight deals just to fight 1 guy. He can fight AJ on either DAZN or Showtime. He can fight Fury on ESPN if the money is right. He isn't tied down to one network like Fury is now. If it was just about fighting on ESPN and getting this exposure, why aren't all these fighters who fight on ESPN repeatedly, bigger stars? Fury will end up fighting on ESPN+ where less people get to see him. The bad thing is Fury fights are going to be a snooze fest without Wilder of AJ. People will be put of by his style once they see him fight. Good solid points there, I would like to add that business is about risk and reward there are no guarantees and it’s all based on sentiment and taking a punt. Some decisions pay off and some don’t, you only have to look at DAZN deal with Canelo as an example how can they afford that some of it is about projections and estimates based on consumer appetite. This is show business, listen when Disney bought marvel who would have thought the revenue they could generate since that purchase if you could predict things like that then everybody would jump on it. Same goes for other business deals like the growth of Apple and Google etc etc. Business is about taking risks some are calculated some are pure speculation. Show Business is no different and don’t forget that word show business boxing is all about the show and boy does Tyson bring the show outside the ring, I agree he needs to improve in the ring because at heavyweight we love knockouts but listen for me Tyson is all about his opponent that’s his profile - he has built his reputation on tumbling over the big names or punchers by negating their style. So for me he needs to be fighting explosive knockout artists who have an aggressive style so he can make a fool out of them and that’s the entertainment. If he fought a similar style guy hell yes it would be boring but the way Tyson fools around in the ring is entertaining. The point im making is nothing is set in stone when it comes to business you take risks and some pay off the ESPN deal may pay huge dividends for Tyson fury he will be protected a little and will get paid well and get some exposure also, what would be nice is if he can knock out a few guys but that aside remember show business is all about the show and he does bring an interesting colourful character into boxing. Let’s see how this all develops over the next few fights.

Its ironic he mentions "business people" getting in the way of fights, when he himself is one of these people. Spot on - money makes the world go round and he just lost out on a huge pay packet however he is right it’s incumbant on the fighters to make things happen.

Contractual disputes are rarely taken to court. It’s never gonna get that far and all Andy and his team are trying to do is probably squeeze more money out and maybe get the fight in US by playing a bit of hard ball. A court case is not helpful to either party and would end up probably benefiting other boxer in the division. If Andy is stripped(the belts can’t be held hostage through a legal dispute) those belts will be fought over by the likes of Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte(If he can get through the whole did she didn’t she pop the test) Andy doesn’t necessarily have to go to SA particularly if US is advising it’s citizen against travelling to that country Ruiz has a strong case to not travel. The likelihood is that Hearn will probably have to be flexible in some way to get the fight over the line in SA. Hearn can’t really dig his heels in as the legal battle will only hurt his golden goose.