Eddie Hearn gives us Joshua's plan A and plan B.

I just assumed the winner of the IBF fight would be fighting Usyk.

I'm personally not impressed by Zhang or Bakole ... or Joyce for that matter. Too slow.

 

I always assumed that Joshua wouldn't fight until he was an old man.

With his physique, he hides his age well. But he'll be 36 this year.

And I said this with Wilder before the Parker fight, there aren't too many top heavyweights in boxing history who won really big fights after the age of 38. Most were either retired (some long retired) or they just fell off a cliff.

Only a handful did anything of note.

Historically, at 36, your prime is over. The rest is more or less a wind down.

The PED era extended careers in all sports, certainly. But Joshua is already coming apart. The Dubois fight was just total domination by the younger guy. That was the kind of loss, like Frazier against Foreman in fight two, that you tend to walk away from the sport and call it a day.

If we were just seeing big stadium fights in the Uk, like the ones Joshua rose to fame on, I think we wouldn't see that list.

I think it would be Joshua vs a UK knockover opponent. The fans cheer his final win. And he's out. Retired with his wits about him.

That list shows me Hearn is trying to send Joshua a message.

But with all the Saudi money, even if he does lose to one or two of those guys, I see Joshua fighting on.

If a loss like Dubois doesn't make you see the end is upon you, losing to those guys won't, either.

Again, I think this Saudi money is going to really hurt a number of fighters long term where they would've stepped away without it.

Hearn talked about this being the final push. Even if he walks away from Joshua after a couple more bad losses, I don't see Joshua stopping anymore. It's going to take a helluva train wreck. Sadly.

He may become the UK's Holyfield. Fighting until they won't license him anymore. Then looking for other places that will.

When he didn't take the Dubois return, I thought he was acknowledging the end. But if they're bringing in these guys, he didn't.

 

Maybe the Dubois-Parker loser. The winner? Lol. Usyk gets that one. Become undisputed again, then sail off into the sunset.

No hate on AJ. I like the guy. He just doesn't deserve the winner of either of the mentioned fights. He's also nuts if he gets in the ring with Zhang or Bakole. And exceedingly nuts if he wants to fight Dubois again -- he trying for his own personal Frazier-Foreman 2 moment? He already got to do a Frazier-Foreman 1.

 

Know what one WOULD make sense? And that AJ could probably win? Chisora. They'd do huge numbers together in the UK, both make a pile of money, no title needed. Make the whole card Brits, get Lennox Lewis and Sunny Edwards as commentators. Heck, do an Allen-Fisher rematch on the undercard.

Why's this that hard?

 

I like AJs fights. He’s vulnerable and powerful, so there is normally drama.

I think the making him out to be some star that transcends the sport in his early days with the Matchroom PR turned a lot of people off, myself included.

 

bahahah what makes him think he deserves the winner

muppet

body

building

BUM

 

Not sure why the winner of Dubois/Parker would fight AJ when they have Usyk for undisputed. AJ and Hearn have always been rather entitled.

Zhang/Kabayel or Bakole would make sense though - wouldn't mind any of these match-ups.

No Fury? Disappointing.

 

Fury's retired

 

Will bet good money he changes his mind soon enough.

 

He's not coming back this time imo. He can't beat Usyk and has slowed down. He knows the era is pretty much over

 

He does not deserve a crack at the top table yet and the clock is ticking for him. Vitali, Vlad, Holyfield, Lewis - all 38/39 when they lost or relinquished their titles. It is a theme with most fighters.

I think either a fight with Chisora or the winner of Whyte/Joyce would be the more likely gateway for an AJ rebuild. After that, maybe Bakole or the loser of Zhang/Kabayel. Then a shot at the winner of Usyk v DDD or Parker.