At this point, the legion of Anthony Joshua true believers has advanced past cult-like status to the level of a full-blown religion?
At this point, the legion of Anthony Joshua true believers has advanced past cult-like status to the level of a full-blown religion.
But one could do a lot worse than a life of praying at the altar of AJ. If boxing was looking to cast for the role of savior, the 28-year-old appears to be coming straight from central casting. Handsome, well-spoken, charismatic, and with an ever-growing skill set in the ring, IBF/WBA heavyweight champ Joshua is everything boxing has said it wanted from its next big star?and from the look of things, boxing plans to grab on to the affable Brit and hold on tight.
Like it or not, this is Anthony Joshua?s world now.
This is something that WBC titlist Deontay Wilder needs to understand if his goal is to someday face the burgeoning superstar.
?I?ve called Joshua out, he knows what I want. The UK fans know what I want and I want him,? Wilder recently told FightHype.com. ?You?re a champion, I?m a champion. The people say you the best, they speak for you. You?re a coward, you can?t speak for yourself. I speak for myself and I say I?m the best. So let?s see who?s the best.?
But it?s not that easy anymore.
With Joshua?s star flying so high and with nobody even remotely in the same stratosphere, putting together a ?big? fight is going to require a lot of proud champions and challengers approaching Joshua with hat humbly in hand.
Joshua?s promoter Eddie Hearn will make sure this is the case, though, publicly, he makes his case much more diplomatically.
?You cannot possibly think that a fighter with the commercial value?like particularly Joseph Parker and Deontay Wilder?should warrant anywhere near a 50% split in that pot, and it?s not being disrespectful. It?s just fact,? Hearn recently told Fight Hub. ?But they will, in their head, think, ?I?m a champion, my belt?s on the line, that is the split.? If it is, of course, the fights will never happen.?
As fans should be reminded time and time again, boxing is a business and nobody?regardless of how noble and fearless they are?is eager to give up their upper hand in negotiations.
?They?re still going to get absolutely giant paydays from fighting Josh on whatever they?re offered,? Hearn continued. ?They?ve got to be treated with respect, it?s not just a case of, ?There?s a couple million, take the fight.? But they?ve also got to understand the size of Anthony Joshua.?
Wilder has a belt that Joshua wants and that will earn him some extra money in negotiations, but all the leverage is Joshua?s, whether Wilder cares to accept it or not. Joshua is the one making nearly $20 million dollars a fight at this point and filling soccer stadiums. Wilder is the one earning around a million dollars to fight to packed hometown arenas and modestly-sized audiences on free TV.
Joshua will have the luxury of shopping around and deciding on the ?right? opposition until he comes across someone who can either match him as an ?A-side? or push him to an even higher level as a ?B-side.?
Wilder is almost at that ?must fight? level for Joshua, but not quite?not when AJ can still make his $20 million against the Kubrat Pulevs and Carlo Takams of the world.
The heavy-handed American supposedly turned down $3 million?more than double his biggest payday to date?to face former Joshua foe Dillian Whyte in the UK. Hearn seems intent on Wilder jumping at least one hurdle en route to a shot at his fighter. He also seems intent on all things Joshua vs. Wilder-related happening within the UK.
And if Wilder truly wants a crack at Joshua, he?s going to have to get used to the fact that this is Joshua?s world and that all good things come through him. He will have to rely on the gracious generosity and sense of fair market play of Team Joshua?until he gets a chance to lay hands on the new king and change this boxing world.
