Joshua and IBF title

It makes so much sense I'll be very disappointed if it doesn't happen. Assuming Glazkov wins (if Martin pulls an Ortiz and beats someone with a resume despite never fighting a live body in the past, thereby proving himself a contender, that could change my ****ysis, since his size and power may pose more threat to Joshua), then Joshua should fight Glazkov for the IBF belt.

Glazkov is a natural step up for Joshua, nothing too dangerous about him, resume top 10 but really H2H more like a top 15 hw. Average size, good work rate, power, skills, chin, aggressiveness but nothing special in any category. If he can't beat Glazkov now, he's not going anywhere anyway. No other HW, with possible exception of Cunningham, offers such a low risk way to break into proven top 15 opposition as VG.

Meanwhile, based on the financial success of the Whyte fight, Joshua can make him a huge offer. Realistically, if Hearn is willing to offer Duva 75% as an investment in the future, he can offer Glazkov vastly more money than VG could make in any other 2 fights, including against Wilder. Since even if VG dodges unification fights and fights low quality contenders, he's unlikely to hold his belt more than 2 or 3 fights anyway, we're talking about him earning vastly more money in one fight against AJ than in any other scenario for his whole time as a "champ".

Meanwhile, AJ gets a belt, gets good, low risk step up experience, and gets a belt which, combined with his drawing power, probably gives him the ability to demand a 50/50 purse in any unification bout, which would bring vastly more money than any bargain he'd give VG. Not to mention the added confidence of a champ (even getting a belt from a paper champ).

And for boxing fans, assuming Povetkin and Wilder fight before then, we'd have the greatest 3 person trio to hold a belt in HW history. Fury (or Wlad, if they fight before then), Wilder/Povetkin winner, and AJ would all be strong champs, who would each have a fan base that could make legitimate arguments that their guy would beat the other guys and become a dominant champ. We've never had 3 such fighters holding belts before.

Really hope Hearn is smart enough to go this route.

 

Huh? I'm really confused, it seems like you didn't read my post? Way to miss all the major points.

I do rate him in the top 10, but that's different from actually beating a top 10 hw. In fact, reading your line "my top 3 could only lose to the other top 3", I think you post makes more sense if you are assuming that ranking is linear, that if you are ranked above someone you automatically beat them. And that experience is essentially irrelevant.

Joshua is still very young and somewhat raw. He may be a top 10 HW now(imo, later this year he could prove he is in the top 3), but so far he hasn't beaten a top 10, or even 15, HW. That matters. That means 1. he is still unproven, and its premature to rank him in top 3 and 2. he needs more experience to be able to fulfill his potential.

I would expect him to soundly beat VG. If he does so, that will help alleviate both issues I note above, and will give him a more defensible claim at being a top 3 HW.