Sunday Times Frank Warren Interview

If I bought PPV & never streamed, then it wouldn't bother me but it will effect many people who aren't huge boxing fans who might be undecided on buying it or not. Realising they need to sign up for it would turn many of them off. Then there's plenty of older fellas who are vastly incompetent of going through the process of signing up to something. It will turn them off.

It might not seem like a problem to you or many on here, but it certainly has a big effect. I know loads who never bothered with any of the ITV PPVs because they had to sign up.

 

Joshua’s a good looking lad and he knocks people out. I enjoy the subtleties to his game. He’s got a great jab, he sets traps, good ring IQ, methodical, patient, lovely shot selection and a fantastic finisher. Apart from the last bit, I’m not convinced that the casual fans of the sport enjoy the subtleties that I do. My point is, apart from when he produces a great finish...is he anymore entertaining than Fury or anyone else?? Was his victories over Takam and Parker entertaining? I thought they were excellent boxing performances working behind the jab but to the casual observer I don’t think they were particularly enjoyable and I think many left them stadiums feeling a bit short changed. Yeah, they’d been to an event but they wanted to witness the great finish. What significant moments would they remember from rounds 1-4 & 7-10 in Klitschko fight?

Anthony Joshua is a much better boxer than he gets credit for, but let’s not make out that he’s this entertaining fighter. Before Povetkin the pressure was massive on him to produce something spectacular. The entertainment is the knockdowns not the exhibition of his boxing skills.

 

The figures say differently twenty. There's no way people are buying his fights just cause he's a good looking lad. He has been marketed expertly from the start. Its added to his appeal. But the guy can knock guys out at any point in a fight. Fury is boring to watch for the casual fan. I love fury a bigger fan of his than Joshua.

But in terms of pure entertainment in a boxing ring its night and day. Fury needs the right opponent. Without the opponent being a big puncher its a non event to the casual observer.

People will continually buy Joshua's fights....cause one he's been marketed expertly and two he is entertainment. He's what the heavyweight divisions all about. A guy that can knock anyone out at any minute. Thats why people tune in. Its not really his boxing skills. Its pretty much violence people/casuals want to see. He's provided that nine times out of ten.

Fury's just off the back of sleepers v seferi and pianata. And klitchko and pretty much anyone else he's fought except wilder. We can't just now market him as just as entertaining as Joshua. Bearing in mind the reason the fight was so big was more about fury's recovery from the opponent that what he done to the opponent.

As I said tho fury's brilliant. Think the guys great. Bigger fan of fury than Joshua. But he's not as entertaining as Joshua or nearly as big. Franks kidding himself on again.

 

So, according to FW and some people on here..

Beating Sefer Seferi via RTD, Pianeta by DECISION, and getting a DRAW with Wilder makes you the Number 1 heavyweight on the planet.

Errr Ok fair enough

 

He schooled Wilder and Klitchsko, both away from home and both fighters in their prime.

AJ's best wins are old men in Povetkin and Wlad. He also staggered over the line against Wlad.

 

Come on, mate, you’re one of my favourite posters on here. It’s not that simple.

He fought his way up to Düsseldorf and dethroned an ATG and set the belts free. At that time he was number 1. He beat the man. He messed up though and whatever your spin on it, he lost it all. The boxing world goes on and the belts were picked up.

Seferi was a joke opponent, but it was just a glorified exhibition fight. He’d lost 9 stone at that point... Pianeta could have been stopped but he was instructed by his corner to NOT finish him off & to get the rounds in. He’d lost 10 stone and seemingly had control of his mental illness by the time he fought Wilder...was that the best version of Fury, no. Was it too soon, absolutely. He won that fight though pal, 99% of the boxing world say he won. He should be champion. You know that. Yes it was officially a draw but that’s down to either corruption or utter incompetence.

He’s not officially the best heavyweight in the world, Joshua is. He’s not currently the biggest attraction in heavyweight boxing, Joshua is...but genuinely, I believe he is the best heavyweight on the planet and he will win those titles again before he finishes for good.

Bi-polar and the severe depression that comes from that. 10 stone over-weight. To comeback from that itself is just staggering. Joshua was in a cell cos of dealing drugs and he turned his life around too, to win a gold medal and go on to pick up nearly all the belts. It’s gonna be a movie in 20 years, their careers entwined. In the meantime though, Fury’s coming for them belts.

 

Did you see Wladimir Vs Jennings? Wladimir wasn't in his prime, far from it.

Wilder is in his prime? I wouldn't know, his opponents until now have been so poor I wouldn't recognise a "prime"


Fury beat Wladimir years ago, that can't be counted right now, means nothing in today's top 10, top 5, top 3 if it doesn't have the same value for AJ.

And go and look back at this sites RBR, Fury was just abused, insulted, shredded for a boring performance and terrible fight.

People forget what a shower of turd that fight was, and I agree with Hearn, Fury against Wilder wasn't a classic, it was dramatic, well had dramatic moments but it was OK, not great or a classic.


As for AJ beating old men, well Wilder beat Ortiz and that win was and still is pointed at as some kind of amazing victory and Ortiz is 48 years old.

Fury beat Wladimir when he was what? 38-39 and that isn't old?

But Povetkin is an old man? Wladimir is an old man when he fought AJ?

I'm starting to see how this works.

 

Thank you for a really nice compliment and likewise, I always read your posts and have 100% respect for your opinions, you are one of the most knowledgeable posters on here in my opinion.

Maybe everybody on all sides needs to relax, I think some are going way over the top with praise and some are going the other way with criticism, maybe I'm being over critical and harsh, I know I can be sometimes, I react badly to over the top hype, I hound know better.

I believe the reaction to the Fury Wilder fight was way over the top, the fight was dramatic, I didn't watch it live, I watched it the next day and even knowing the result I couldn't take my eyes off it.

But it wasn't a classic, or even a great fight, but it was very dramatic and very interesting, made interesting because most believed Fury didn't have the left in him but he did and proved a lot of people wrong, including me. I have no problem admitting Fury proved me wrong.

The win in Germany was a great result, nobody can deny that, I wouldn't be that petty to try and say it wasn't, a fantastic result for Fury and let's not forget also for British boxing.

But that fight again.. was poor, the RBR on here is comical when you read it now, Fury was slaughtered, WK was slaughtered, the fight was slaughtered but now it's a "master class" and "a classic". Fury won clearly, it wasn't close but it wasn't a great fight but it was an amazing result/win.

Fury is British, I am British, I want the best fighters to come from Britain, I try my best to support all British fighters and believe Fury is harshly treated by some and on the reverse he is also hyped to extremes.

People forget that most people thought the likes of Szpilka was outboxing Wilder, Ortiz was outboxing him, others have outboxed Wilder, Fury did what others have done before (out box Wilder) but managed to survive the knock downs and credit to him for that and I also believe the result was really really poor, Fury clearly won, I am not saying he didn't beat Wilder but officially it is still a draw.

But to call Fury the number 1 right now is what I have a problem with, he isn't.. yet, I'm not saying he can't be or even won't be but beating those opponents and drawing with Wilder can't make any fighter Number 1.

FW needs to relax himself, he will do more damage than good for Fury in my opinion, Fury has raised his profile in a very positive way, FW will just come across as bitter, arrogant and jealous and that will reflect on to Fury.

But if they want to prove they are the best then fight and beat AJ, Hearn said he'll do it in April, and then nobody can say he isn't the number 1 but until then he fought Wilder to see who is currently the second best heavyweight right now.

 

You had me at thank you. Thanks bud

And a top, balanced post too.

 

Joshua should act like a man of the people and fight on regular Sky defending against Pulev while people are made to wait for Fury and Wilder to sort it out and wait for the winner of that in a big super megafight, with even more people and board and electrifying the public consciousness. Also with the DAZN deal surely he is raking it in from the world market already.

I recall the days PPV stars would often fight easy on paper defences in early matchroom days. Probably is in the contract that it has to be PPV as Joshua is a superstar with too much appeal and guaranteed to pull numbers, but the public would feel rewarded with a regular Sky date and rather than massive stadium O2 date. It may sound like killing the product, but could be a feel good move and pay off long-term. One step back for 2 steps forward etc. Won't happen, but would be decent to see... and it's great to see the heavyweight division in a more healthy state!

 

Good post.

I think Fury benefitted from the knockdowns in a way. Firstly, the second knockdown in particular was a great moment. A genuinely iconic piece of sport as the seemingly unconscious guy on the verge of being stopped suddenly rises. Secondly, it added drama to what was a fairly dull fight. Had they not happened, Fury takes a unanimous, low action, nobody ever seemed hurt decision based on his opponent landing even less than he did, which wasn't much.

 

Joshua is the best, he has 3 belts.

Warren should give it a rest about Hearn, Warren & Fury rolled the dice by taking the Wilder fight so early and it came up trumps, he should be hoping to build his stable on the fact he has got Fury relevant again, rather than show hatred he is the number 2 promoter in Britain

 

Klitschko is Joshua's biggest win. The old man was coming off a lay-off and loss to Fury.
Wilder was being touted as Joshua's main rival and biggest threat, being build up as another legacy win for AJ . But Fury just schooled him.

Who else has Joshua beat besides Klitschko ?
Parker and Povetkin are the best of the rest. I'm a fan of Parker but he hasn't exactly set the world alight, and Povetkin was credible but old and he'd been dominated by Kitschko years earlier.

Let's not exaggerate what Joshua's done.

 

Yes, Fury beat an old man Wladimir.
AJ beat an OLDER Wladimir, who was coming off a loss.

AJ's win over old man Povetkin isn't on the same level as Fury's win over old man Wladimir, for very obvious reasons.

 

I'm not sure why everyone has a problem with the "number one" thing.

If fans took a step back and thought about it rationally : The question of who is number one heavyweight in the world simply hasn't been resolved yet.
Why do people think there has to be a single "number one" at this precise moment in time ?

Wladimir Klitschko did enough to be considered an undisputed NUMBER ONE in the world. When Klitschko was defeated by Fury, Fury could claim rightfully the NUMBER ONE position, and was naturally recognized as such, but his subsequent actons led to him forfeiting that right.

So, in the post-Wlad era, the position was up for grabs, waiting for someone to fully establish themselves as the undisputable number one.
Some people claim Joshua has done that, but that claim really doesn't stand up to scrutiny .... because in the post-Wlad era, and with Fury in the wilderness, we had Joshua, Wilder, Povetkin, Ortiz and Parker regarded as the top men .... Joshua hasn't faced Wilder and never faced Ortiz. And now Fury is back, he just schooled Wilder. Joshua has never faced Fury.

There's simply no compelling reason why the promoter of Tyson Fury, or anyone else, must bow down to the dogma that Joshua is "a clear number one".
Joshua's a fine candidate, but it's not exactly clear.
And that's exactly why these guys need to fight each other. To decide who is number one.
It's funny how fans are so wrapped up in this partisan bickering that they can't see something so obvious.