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We can all stick a pin in where the current heavyweight era began.
It was November 28, 2015.
That was the day that the tall, gangly Mancunian, Tyson Fury brought the dawn of a new day and brought the previous, Klitschko brothers era, finally, to an end.
A decade later, the 2015 - 2025 era is looked back upon with favor, as international stars such as Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang, Anthony Joshua, Daniel Dubois, Joseph Parker, Andy Ruiz Jr., Martin Bakole, Luis Ortiz, Agit Kabayel, Dillian Whyte, Joe Joyce, Jarrell Miller, Alexander Povetkin, Derrick Chisora, Kubrat Pulev, Filip Hrgovic, Charles Martin, Fabio Wardley, Carlos Takam, Johann Duhaupas, Robert Helenius, Jared Anderson, Hughie Fury, Otto Wallin, Bryant Jennings, Frank Sanchez, Bermane Stiverne, Efe Ajagba, Chris Arreola, Michael Hunter, Frazier Clarke, Bakhodir Jalolov, Tony Yoka, Murat Gassiev, Aleksandr Ustinov, Lucas Browne, Dominic Breazeale, Gerald Washington, Guido Vianello, Arslanbek Makhmudov, Bermane Stiverne, Francesco Pianeta, Hughie Fury, Artur Szpilka, Ruslan Chagaev, Mariusz Wach, Jermain Franklin, Kevin Lerena, Johnathan Guidry, Tom Schwarz, Izuagbe Ugonoh, Travis Kauffman, Christian Hammer, Ali Eren Demirezen, Adam Kownacki, Joe Cusumano, Johnny Rice, Amir Mansour, Lukasz Rozanski, Junior Fa, and even a Mixed Martial Arts great, Francis Ngannou, have provided fans the thrills and chills that only the big boys can deliver.
Of them all, Watford's Anthony Joshua was arguably the most popular; celebrated across the globe.
As the sun suts on the era, and on that of it's champion attention grabber, we are left to wonder what WE might do, if found in the position to advise the former belt holder, and one of the best heavyweight contenders to have never won the HCOTW.
Strait away, my view is that Joshua, while getting very close; need not pack it in just yet. There is still on the table for him, the lifetime earnings of 50 to 100 average men.
I believe that an immediate rematch with Daniel Dubois would be a terrible mistake, as the style matchup is dreadful.
I also believe that the overseasoned UK showdown against Tyson Fury, while nothing like what it once was, to unify belts, is still an historic event, fashioned somewhat like the Ali - Frazier III "Thrilla in Manila clash of 1975, where both headliners had seen better days, if only just.
It is certainly a more winnable fight for Joshua than ones against massive punchers like Wilder or Dubois.
Regardless whether or not Fury can regain the actual heavyweight title against Usyk in December; this is a fight that will sell out, and help to further define the pecking order of the outgoing era.
With the first slot when Fury's available for that some 5 or 6 months out from today, September 24; one or even two stay busy/get happy fights can be scheduled for Joshua, and there's no shortage of good, willing, winning opponents eager to jump at such an opportunity.
So, left up to me, this is how Anthony Oluwafemi Olaseni Joshua, OBE can bow out with grace.
2013 - 2023. 27-3-0 (24)
2024
Francis Ngannou, Riyadh...................KO. 2
Daniel Dubois, London...................KOBY 5
2025
Guido Vianello, Rome.......................TKO. 7
Efe Ajagba, Lagos............................. W 10
Tyson Fury, Riyadh............................ ?
It was November 28, 2015.
That was the day that the tall, gangly Mancunian, Tyson Fury brought the dawn of a new day and brought the previous, Klitschko brothers era, finally, to an end.
A decade later, the 2015 - 2025 era is looked back upon with favor, as international stars such as Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang, Anthony Joshua, Daniel Dubois, Joseph Parker, Andy Ruiz Jr., Martin Bakole, Luis Ortiz, Agit Kabayel, Dillian Whyte, Joe Joyce, Jarrell Miller, Alexander Povetkin, Derrick Chisora, Kubrat Pulev, Filip Hrgovic, Charles Martin, Fabio Wardley, Carlos Takam, Johann Duhaupas, Robert Helenius, Jared Anderson, Hughie Fury, Otto Wallin, Bryant Jennings, Frank Sanchez, Bermane Stiverne, Efe Ajagba, Chris Arreola, Michael Hunter, Frazier Clarke, Bakhodir Jalolov, Tony Yoka, Murat Gassiev, Aleksandr Ustinov, Lucas Browne, Dominic Breazeale, Gerald Washington, Guido Vianello, Arslanbek Makhmudov, Bermane Stiverne, Francesco Pianeta, Hughie Fury, Artur Szpilka, Ruslan Chagaev, Mariusz Wach, Jermain Franklin, Kevin Lerena, Johnathan Guidry, Tom Schwarz, Izuagbe Ugonoh, Travis Kauffman, Christian Hammer, Ali Eren Demirezen, Adam Kownacki, Joe Cusumano, Johnny Rice, Amir Mansour, Lukasz Rozanski, Junior Fa, and even a Mixed Martial Arts great, Francis Ngannou, have provided fans the thrills and chills that only the big boys can deliver.
Of them all, Watford's Anthony Joshua was arguably the most popular; celebrated across the globe.
As the sun suts on the era, and on that of it's champion attention grabber, we are left to wonder what WE might do, if found in the position to advise the former belt holder, and one of the best heavyweight contenders to have never won the HCOTW.
Strait away, my view is that Joshua, while getting very close; need not pack it in just yet. There is still on the table for him, the lifetime earnings of 50 to 100 average men.
I believe that an immediate rematch with Daniel Dubois would be a terrible mistake, as the style matchup is dreadful.
I also believe that the overseasoned UK showdown against Tyson Fury, while nothing like what it once was, to unify belts, is still an historic event, fashioned somewhat like the Ali - Frazier III "Thrilla in Manila clash of 1975, where both headliners had seen better days, if only just.
It is certainly a more winnable fight for Joshua than ones against massive punchers like Wilder or Dubois.
Regardless whether or not Fury can regain the actual heavyweight title against Usyk in December; this is a fight that will sell out, and help to further define the pecking order of the outgoing era.
With the first slot when Fury's available for that some 5 or 6 months out from today, September 24; one or even two stay busy/get happy fights can be scheduled for Joshua, and there's no shortage of good, willing, winning opponents eager to jump at such an opportunity.
So, left up to me, this is how Anthony Oluwafemi Olaseni Joshua, OBE can bow out with grace.
2013 - 2023. 27-3-0 (24)
2024
Francis Ngannou, Riyadh...................KO. 2
Daniel Dubois, London...................KOBY 5
2025
Guido Vianello, Rome.......................TKO. 7
Efe Ajagba, Lagos............................. W 10
Tyson Fury, Riyadh............................ ?
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