I believe Joshua will wipe out the heavyweight division eventually, i've always said that, but I still believe this title fight is too early for Joshua. He should of taken a couple more fights, but now he's going to be in the lions den after winning a heavyweight title that really should belong to Fury.. Do you believe Joshua has won a title too early or do you believe he's ready for all the top dogs?
I wouldn't throw him in with Fury, wilder or Povetkin just yet. He still needs more rounds. Takem, Parker, Duhaupas, someone like that, would be a good fight next. Does anyone know who AJ's mandatory is?
Too early, but at the same time he's beyond domestic level at this point so the only thing left to do was move him forward. The IBF belt being stripped from Fury paved an opportunity and so his team took it. Personally, i think at this point, he gets a pass if he has a couple easy defences, followed by maybe a world level opponent (top 10), then from there, they can think about the bigger fights with the likes of Wlad-Fury II Winner, Wilder, Haye etc.
if they can pull a Wilder and get 3 voluntaries in a row he might have taken the right step, but otherwise it might actually be a bumpy road ahead.
I don't think he's ready for the likes of Fury just yet: I can see Joshua and Hearn taking 3 or 4 mandatory / voluntary defences (one of which will probably be Dereck Chisora), before facing Fury and Wilder. If Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua keep winning, it only makes their mooted fight even bigger.
He has nothing to lose and the IBF top 10 isn't great. The worst that can happen for him is a massive pay day against Haye when it comes to defending that belt.
Takem would be a good step up. A good solid HW. If Parker beats Takem then a fight with him and AJ later this year would be very interesting. The two best prospects in the HW division meeting before we know how good they trully are.