Joshua's next fight

AJ won't fight Hughie. Hughie would make him look clumsy, terrible, damage his 'brand' even more. And could beat him...

 

You are called the philosopher for a reason.

 

Yep, if he fights a domestic name it needs to be someone with a big enough profile he can knock over easily enough and won’t cause him any problems - Adeleye, Allen, Whyte etc. Or he fights some foreign bloke nobody has heard of but can be built and hyped as some mythical ‘boogeyman’ that he overcomes. Hughie doesn’t fit in to either of those categories.

I wonder if he’s just killing time till Tyson Fury is ready to fight, and won’t gamble losing again in the interim. That, or he’s killing time because he ‘can’t’ fight for certain reasons.

 

Agree, can’t see AJ taking the lesser Fury — risk and reward just don’t add up.

Isn’t Hughie still MIA, out there looking for that man strength? I think even Peter’s given up hope of it ever kicking in. His last meaningful fights were Wach and Hammer back in 2020–21.

More chance of John or Tommy fighting Humble at this stage. And to be honest, Eddie would take any of the Fury clan bar Hughie — just in case he lands one.

Hughie v Allen is actually a fair fight right now, and it’d protect Dave from his own delusions while keeping his health intact.

 

I think AJ is woefully undervalued on this forum. Styles make fights and Hughie is, was and always will be all wrong for him. I'd take AJ to demolish Adeleye, Whyte. I'd take him to beat Bakole, Zhang and Hrgovic and I think he'd stop Mahkmudov. He's still a bloody good fighter with a huge heart and massive power.

 

Wow, at the start I was almost like Renée in Jerry Maguire — you had me with the opening and it just kept getting better… right up until you lost me at “huge heart.”

That Ben Whittaker promo when he signed with Matchroom, that was basically Eddie and AJ throughout his career. Both of them walked away with piles of PPV loot; Eddie living it up in Port Hercule, AJ out in Dubai.

That said, I actually agree with most of your post. He starts a heavy favourite over the names you mentioned, but this is heavyweight boxing, and if Makhmudov lands, Joshua won’t be counting loot; he’ll be counting sheep.

 

The Mahkmudov fight probably makes sense. Mahk can still be billed as a massive puncher but went 12 with Dave and Allen had him hurt more than once and AJ is twice the puncher Dave is.
Mahkmudov now known to the UK market should be an easy sell to the casual and it should result in a KO either way.
There's enough threat that it isn't a gimme AJ can be hurt and put away, but he should have enough class and ability to stop Mahkmudov...

 

He got up v Wlad, he kept getting up v Ruiz, he was still trying to get up v Dubois. He emptied his tank v Usyk. I think these are all things that point towards having heart. Happy to agree to differ though!! Have a great day, Px

 

You need to show me the heart and power on this footage.

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I hear Joshua's right hand has just reached the bottom rope after the final Dubois punch landed so you may have a point.

 

I actually had money on Ruiz beating AJ, kind of fighter that gives him fits. Power? He put Ruiz down, a fighter who had never been knocked down and has not been knocked down since. Heart? He got up four times from knockdowns himself.

There is lots to criticise AJ for but I don't think anyone can seriously doubt his power or his heart. As ever though, I am happy to agree to differ.

Have a wonderful day man, peace and love always, Px

 

Bro, you made fair points, and in that Klitschko fight you’re right. But if it were a jigsaw, @Beale just filled in the missing pieces. Some good clips to watch there, to be fair.

Enjoy your day too, mate, and with Prizefighter back this weekend they really need to resurrect the heavyweight version again.

 

I think we might have seen the last of Joshua to be honest. Been a while since he last fought, he doesn't need the money. He's been a world champion, probably won't be again. Time to something else.

 

I think the missing pieces help my points being honest, as outlined in my answer to Beale, a poster whom I have lots of respect for by the way. Thanks for your thoughtful reply man.

 

All good, bro, you made your case and stand by your opinion, no issue with that. I’d just like to see Joshua, given he’s cash rich, simply go “**** it,” roll the dice and fight Moses or even Wardley.

Same for Fury, because Fury v Joshua just has Khan v Brook written all over it now, and anything else has really lost its lustre, especially Dubois. And please, God, not the winner of Whyte v Chisora against either of them.