Anthony Joshua: On The Outside Looking In

Anthony Joshua: On The Outside Looking In

Despite Anthony Joshua holding all but one of the various governing bodies heavyweight belts, he seems to be at the moment, on the outside looking in.

For Joshua and Eddie Hearn the outcome of the December fight between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury was the worst possible result.

The controversial nature of the result and the drama of the fight itself made a rematch almost inevitable.

For Fury, he wants justice, in the eyes of many, he was so cruelly denied by the scorecards. In Wilder’s case, he will want to remove the stigma, a title and unbeaten record seemingly only saved because of an early Xmas present from the judges.

Joshua’s plan A and B for the April Wembley date will almost certainly be unavailable.

Dillian Whyte having turned down the initial offer to face Joshua at Wembley, now seems to be touting himself around elsewhere.

Whyte and Hearn would be wise to compromise and get a deal done. In the dangerous world of boxing, one punch can change everything, opportunities can be lost far quicker than they are earned. Whyte might need to grasp what is already in front of him.

With all 3 of the preferred options looking remote or doubtful at best, Joshua looks as though an American debut is likely against the unbeaten Jarrell Miller.

Miller might be very much plan D and ideally, all parties would probably prefer the fight further down the road, but Miller might well end up being the only option.

If Miller does end up facing Joshua, it’s the sort of fight that won’t get too many people excited. Wilder, Fury and Whyte are all much more exciting options of course, but other world heavyweight champions from yesteryear all have had to go through perceived mundane defences.

The other contenders in the division at some point deserve their chance, what they can draw at the gate shouldn’t always decide who gets a shot, rankings are there for a reason. The untested Miller looks like being next for Joshua, and while it may fail to excite, the likes of Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes and others have all gone through the exact same thing.

The likes of Scott Frank, Scott LeDoux, Lorenzo Zanon sit alongside the likes of Gerry Cooney and Tim Witherspoon on Holmes’s record. Joshua will have to face a similar problem, not every fight will be a blockbuster.

Joshua now has to play the waiting game, let Wilder and Fury settle their feud and then hope the path clears for him. But with mandatory obligations to then fulfil, a fully unified world heavyweight champion could be some way away yet.