This. It's hilarious seeing everyone take Eddie's word as gospel. They HAD to announce an immediate rematch. Not to do so would effectively be saying the last six years has been a con, as well as a whole slew of contractual reasons for his endorsements. No, but no big brand wants it associated with a sub-par product. It's been like 4 days since AJ got his head bounced around the ring by a huge underdog on his US debut in front of millions. It's literally the worst possible place he could be mentally save for one punch KO ala Lewis Rahman. He doesn't know his arse from his elbow at the moment and the idea that a rematch wasn't shoehorned in by Hearn to save face is laughable. Same thing is happening with him "staying with McCracken". They have to say that as to do otherwise would be basically admitting he needs loads of work. Matchroom knows full well that AJ needs a rebuild mentally and physically. The idea that they would even slightly countenance the complete destruction of their golden goose brand just before Xmas and let's face eveything that has been pinned to that brand i.e. Hearn himself, is laughable. AJ will be fighting literal cans the next few fights. Hearns plan will be to milk the casuals for the last vestiges of Joshua's career in the UK. Barry Hearn is on record as saying that it doesn't matter who he fights 80,000 will turn up. We will now see that in action.
But won't their priority be to get the belts back? The filling out of stadiums is due to the belts AJ had too. Being marketed as the best heavyweight on the planet with 3 of the 4 belts. If he rebuilds and doesnt fight Ruiz next, the titles will end up all over the shop.
I would of thought their priority would be to get the belts back. I suppose it all depends on the reason why he lost.
Good points made but AJ fighting cans before a Ruiz rematch would be a massive gamble, Ruiz in the meatime might make a defence and lose, have a unification with Wilder and lose or one of the alphabet bodies might make one of the belts vacant with a strong chance Fury picks one of them up. And were does any of the above scenarios leave AJ ?? In limbo with his only option to get a belt back is to fight Fury or Wilder.
They have to get them belts back asap otherwise AJ will have to join Uncle Al. If they don't exercise the rematch then they are frozen out more than ever.
Ruiz team coudl refuse it, lose in court get stripped then fight wilder anyway the vacant belts value will mean, not a whole lot
yes and money is no obstacle, in the long term PBC building he has been paying US tv stations to show his fighters, instead of them paying him. He has Ruiz and can make him fight wilder whether its one belt or for 4 it matters little, winner fights fury = absoloute undisputed champion, then let the lower tier win a belt here or there
