If Joshua v Wilder is announced for the U.K. I predict...

I remember watching these fights as kids in the UK, usually Saturday night TV - EVERYONE was watching them, it’s hard to contextualise now in the modern age, but with only 4 TV channels if there was a big fight with a UK fighter competing it was all over the newspapers and everyone tuned in.

Those tragedies had enormous impact in the UK - boxing would be vilified relentlessly in both the tabloids and the broadsheet press. I think it was really difficult for those dodgy old skool promoters to put a respectable veneer on it too - people really had the target on the back of boxing. It was only it’s mainstream appeal (which seems crazy now..) that saved it.

If we do see referrees being more cautious regarding the stoppages it could well be that they came of age in that environment - it must be hard to ignore if you followed British boxing in those eras. Bear in mind that both Eubank and Benn were arguably the biggest stars in boxing in the UK after Bruno and before Naseem. And these tragedies happened only a short time from each other - so the pressure was immense from what I remember.

 

if only micky vann reffed every uk fight

 

Sadly this is exactly how it works.
If the fight would be signed to take place in the US, certainly Texas or Vegas, then the officials would do anything in their power to let Wilder win. Does it take place in the UK, then the officials are on Joshua's side and will try to influence the fight in his favor.
Odds change due to location, and not just due to crowd influence and a fighter being more at ease at home.

 

In what sense should it be neutral?

A US fighter is the B side and now 'neutral venues' are a demand lol.


If Hatton had to travel to Vegas, Wilder can travel to London.

 

It is sad.....

But the US never had an issue with it when Floyd was generating huge sums of cash for the sport in the US.

 

I always had the idea that many US fans saw that as their deserved privilege, and only complained about it when the same thing happened abroad once in a while.