Comments Thread For: Anthony Joshua Admits His Career Doesn't Have Enough Time Left To Reach Undisputed Goal

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

Former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has always had a dream of becoming the undisputed king of his weight division. That dream, Joshua admits, will likely not happen in his career.
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[Elheath]

He is 34 right now...so if he fought 2-3 times a year he will have more than enough time. The issue is not time left in your career but the unwillingness of the heavy weight guys to fight more than once a year, the lack of willingness to make unifications, and most of all the fact that he is not as good as Usyk or Fury or Wilder.

[sayf]

While he's not wrong, it's quite the defeatist attitude though. They could try to facilitate keeping an undisputed guy, a big man at top brings a ton more money than some upcoming guy, not that they wouldn't deserve the belt, but we all know sanctioning bodies love the cash...

[N/A]

What a wanker! He isn't too old for the undisputed - he just doesn't have what it takes to become one. Undisputed itself can be an excuse for not facing more top opponents.

[Dare7]

I understand him. The whole negotiating processes and fighters overpricing themselves can create a problem for such.

[chicken-]

He is 34 right now...so if he fought 2-3 times a year he will have more than enough time. The issue is not time left in your career but the unwillingness of the heavy weight guys to fight more than once a year, the lack of willingness to make unifications, and most of all the fact that he is not as good as Usyk or Fury or Wilder.

Yea like when he was unwilling to fight Wilder and made demands/excuses instead. All he talked about was Wilder after Franklin, then stopped mentioning his name altogether.

[Toffee]

He is 34 right now...so if he fought 2-3 times a year he will have more than enough time. The issue is not time left in your career but the unwillingness of the heavy weight guys to fight more than once a year, the lack of willingness to make unifications, and most of all the fact that he is not as good as Usyk or Fury or Wilder.

Whether he's good enough or ever was good enough can be debated.

But I don't think the rest is fair about Joshua.

He became a champion in 2016. And fought 3 times that year.

The next year he fought Klitschko to become a two belt champion and fought a mandatory in Takam.

In 2018 he unified against Parker and fought a mandatory in Povetkin.

He then fought twice in 2019 - once on his US debut and the second the rematch after he lost.

He was one of the few to actually fight in 2020. A COVID no crowd affair against his mandatory in Pulev.

Then the next year faced another mandatory in Usyk.

Since losing the belt to Usyk he's rematched, and then tried to rebuild with 3 fights in under 9 months. With the third fight being against the guy ranked one place below him on TBRB (3rd v 4th). A fight that will put him in line again for the IBF title.

I'm not sure what he could do to earn your respect for his desire to become Undisputed. He did literally everything you could possible expect him to do.

He fought the guys who had belts. He fought the guys he needed to fight to avoid being stripped. He rematched when he lost. And we know he tried to make the fights for the last remaining belt he hadn't unified. Wilder confirmed it. Fury reckons he signed for it. I don't think that's even debated.

[Toffee]

What a wanker! He isn't too old for the undisputed - he just doesn't have what it takes to become one. Undisputed itself can be an excuse for not facing more top opponents.

I think Undisputed definitely stops fighters facing top opponents. Look at Joshua's resume of mandatories as a 3 belt titlist. Mandatories just get in the way.

I'd rather see him make big fights and not worry about the belts.

[N/A]

I think Undisputed definitely stops fighters facing top opponents. Look at Joshua's resume of mandatories as a 3 belt titlist. Mandatories just get in the way.

I'd rather see him make big fights and not worry about the belts.

I believe what matters more is not a title or unification, but the quality of opponents one wins against. True, if he wins against the best, it's kind of inevitable to win a title, but it is also not mandatory to guarantee him all the titles and the reasons are multiple - one example: sometimes, a sanctioning body has a weak champion and a fighter rather aims at him and his title instead of some better one in another federation who does not have a title.

[tokon]

Yea like when he was unwilling to fight Wilder and made demands/excuses instead. All he talked about was Wilder after Franklin, then stopped mentioning his name altogether.

Yes. Undisputed was within his grasp but Joshua and Hearn have never wanted that wilder fight. And still don't unless it's cash out $$$.