he heavyweight horizon has not looked this complicated in years, with at least four world titles in play, several astronomical egos all jockeying for position and a slew of social media call-outs propelling boxing back into the big time.
But the heavyweight champion that matters the most has been unequivocal about his plans all along.
Anthony Joshua wants to fight three times in 2018. Once against the WBC champion Deontay Wilder. Once against the WBO champion Joseph Parker. And once again ? either against a mandatory challenger or perhaps even Tyson Fury, the absent champion of the world who has been inactive since his outstanding victory over Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015. The men in the mix Who fights who in 2018?
Anthony Joshua 20-0 (20KO)
The IBF and WBA (Super) heavyweight champion of the world. The biggest draw in boxing and the kingpin of the division.
Deontay Wilder 39-0 (38KO)
The WBC champion has a formidable record but a series of drug-cheat opponents means he is still something of an unknown quantity.
Joseph Parker 24-0 (18KO)
The New Zealand heavyweight is the WBO champion and recently defeated Hughie Fury in Manchester, winning on points.
Tyson Fury 25-0 (18KO)
The joker in the pack. The former WBA, IBF and WBO champion of the world who was stripped of his titles and has been inactive since 2015.
Dillian Whyte 22-1(16KO)
The WBC international champion who could well fight either Wilder or Parker next year. He lost to Joshua in December 2015.
Jarrell Miller 20-0-1(17KO)
His chances of fighting Joshua appeared to improve markedly when he signed with Eddie Hearn this week. Tipped for the top.
Mandatory challengers
Joshua could be forced to fight a mandatory at some point next year. The likes of Kubrat Pulev, Luis Ortiz and Alexander Ustinov may be in the mix.
Joshua?s goal? To become the first heavyweight in history to unify the IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO belts. ?I want to unify all the titles and fight all the champions by the end of 2018,? he said earlier this week. It has never been done before, not even by the great Klitschko. Not even by that other great British champion, Lennox Lewis.
And yet while his ambition is simple, even noble, Joshua and his promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing, now face a series of difficult negotiations ahead of them, locked in board rooms with a collection of bruisers with the brittlest of egos. ?Our job to deliver, but it doesn?t happen over night,? Hearn commented while on a trip to New York to meet with some suits. The wrangling starts here.
