There?s a real case to be made that the winner of Wilder-Fury should be rated top heavyweight in the world, above Joshua?
Yes, first of all, that was, indeed, a poo pun in the title.
I?m not saying that Anthony Joshua is about to become a heavyweight turd, but the signing of a Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury bout should make him and his team feel a bit crappy.
(Yes, another poo pun!)
While Joshua readies himself for a defense against Alexander Povetkin?a bout that nobody was clamoring for?his two biggest and most essential rivals are about to fight one another in a contest that will upstage his efforts completely. Forget the monster payday, the jam-packed Wembley Stadium, and those three belts in his possession?Wilder-Fury actually matters and that?s something his people can?t say about his own upcoming fight.
Wilder-Fury will remove any and all shine from a Joshua-Povetkin affair because of the certain avalanche of headline-friendly drama sure to come from a bout matching up the sport?s two biggest shit-talkers and trouble-stirrers. Ideally, the Wilder-Fury organizers would schedule their fight as close to Joshua-Povetkin as possible, but even if the battle of giants (and giant mouths) is as late as December, media and fans will still be dealing with the Joshua fight in terms of what it means for the winner of Wilder-Fury.
And if ?boxing?s next superstar? being upstaged and made to look like ?just? a regional UK star is not bad enough, there?s a real case to be made that the winner of Wilder-Fury should be rated top heavyweight in the world, above Joshua.
If Wilder beats Fury, he will not only hold a win over the lineal heavyweight champ, but he?ll also boast a r?sum? that is, arguably, equal to Joshua?s. Wins over Luis Ortiz, Bermane Stiverne, and Tyson Fury would match Joshua?s three biggest wins and make up for the fact that ?AJ? holds three alphabet trinkets to Wilder?s one.
If Fury beats Wilder, the ?Gypsy King? will not only keep his lineal champ status, but he?ll also own Wilder?s WBC belt. On a r?sum? vs. r?sum? paper battle, it could then also be argued that Fury matches and possibly exceeds Joshua?s body of work.
Either way, the winner of the ?other? heavyweight title bout can make a reasonable claim to being the rightful no. 1 heavyweight in the world. That would push Joshua to no. 2 and could force him and promoter Eddie Hearn to add some weight to monetary offers directed at Wilder or Fury next. Team Joshua will need to have their guy face the winner of Wilder-Fury and they?ll have to back up the Brinks truck to make it happen.
Meanwhile, don?t think for a second that anyone involved in the Wilder-Fury promotion will stop rubbing Joshua?s nose in the fact that the biggest, most consequential heavyweight title bout of the year won?t involve Joshua.
?This man (Wilder) has been trying to make a big fight with the other chump (Anthony Joshua), the biggest sh*thouse in boxing,? Fury said after taking a 10-round decision from Francesco Pianeta this past Saturday in Belfast. ?They called, I answered. I said send me the contract, they sent me the contract, I said yes and now he gets his chance to fight me.?
Will Joshua care if he?s upstaged by two high-profile rabble-rousers after his eight-figure check clears and he?s done basking in the glow of a fully supportive, wildly enthusiastic Wembley Stadium crowd? If there?s the heart of a competitor beating inside his chest, it should bother him a great deal.
These are two guys HE should be fighting. It looks bad for him that they?re fighting each other and not lined up to be mowed down.
Forget who?s really to blame for the Wilder fight falling apart or the realities behind not pursuing a mid-comeback Fury. The buck stops with Joshua as a three-belt champ and the fighter hyped as a future legend built to bring glory back to the heavyweight division. A failure to corral his two biggest challengers, however, may have that buck stopping elsewhere.
And that should make Joshua feel like shit.
