The Heavyweight Mess

The Heavyweight Mess

By Matthew Dean 

For those of us who watch from home or ringside we can only launch wild and speculative guesses as to who a boxer’s next opponent will be. When the fights are eventually signed you folk standing near to us may be subjected to little joyous yelps of “ I told you so” or baffled “well I didn’t see that one coming”.

I ended the year with high hopes for the heavyweight division. Before us stood a prospective era of fights which we had been waiting years to see. Genuinely exciting matchups which would easily and quickly be signed because of the zeal of all involved to be actually in these fights. .

One month into the new year I am not sure if I was wrong. The heavyweight division has so much potential and each time I look at the news I wonder what is coming next. This is just my view and I don’t know how anyone else feels about the current heavyweights scene, but I am utterly frustrated at the lack of progress.

I understand the concept of mandatories. I understand the issue of networks. I also understand the fact that promoters can’t even abide to be in the same room as their rival promotors to agree vast sums of money and get big fights secured. Anyone who watches boxing knows about the backstage shenanigans of the deal making process but why should the fans, the people who make heroes of the everyday athlete feel this way? I am after all a boxing fan, so if I feel like this how the casual fan think about the situation?

And that isn’t good for the sport. Perhaps this is just my own despairing but you have to admit this is all getting rather tedious.

Looking at the biggest names in boxing’s flagship division, what is there to think? Arguably there are 3 monster fights to be made circulating around the top 3 in the heavyweight ranks.

Wilder vs Fury 2
Joshua vs Fury
Joshua vs Wilder

The clamour for any of these is massive. It would sell out venues in the blink of an eye. Yet what do we have at the moment, nothing certain.

Wilder vs Fury 2 

Why does it need to happen?

Wilder and Fury 2 is obvious. It has to take place. For the fighters. For the fans. For boxing’s integrity to be (marginally) restored in the light of the judging travesty of their first scrap. And it will make a lot of money for all involved. We all watched as Fury dominated the WBC champion. Then get smashed to the ground and rose like a phoenix from the ashes to fight to the bitter end and be cruelly denied the comeback of ages.

What’s the problem ?

The issue is, it seems to be agreed then it seems to be not agreed. The date in May has been touted but nothing is confirmed according to various sources. Both fighters want it and so do the fans. Come on it’s quite simple. The WBC need to pull their socks up and authorise this fight. Most importantly Frank Warren and Al Haymon need to get this train moving forward. If this rematch doesn’t happen then I dread to think of the repercussions through the sport. What little shred of integrity boxing had left would be diminished even further. What further incentive is needed ?

However if they can get this completed and with a just outcome, this would move us towards the next biggest fight – Anthony Joshua fighting one of them. Either of them would be a super fight.

Joshua vs Fury

Why does it need to happen?

This is an all British match the current lineal champion (if he wins against Wilder) against Unified. If Fury loses it is still for all of Joshua’s belts and the prestige of being the No 1 heavyweight in the UK. Not to mention there’s a history of Fury calling Joshua over, following his performances over the last few years so it would be a bitter grudge match to boot

What’s the problem?

Fury wants the Wilder rematch. There’s a lot of money at stake in that pot and he wants to avenge the unfair draw cast again him in December 2018. Some might argue that he is wary of Joshua but I don’t think he is. He believes that he is better than AJ.

Joshua vs Wilder

Why should it happen?

Put simply, why wouldn’t we want this to happen? two undefeated (currently) heavyweight champions which would unify a division and allow for potentially an undisputed champ. Plus the fact that both of them have 95+ percent KO ratio to their stats means that anything could happen at any second in the fight. It might go 1 round it could go 12.

What’s the problem?

Wilder equally wants the Fury rematch. He feels he was unfairly done by, like Fury from his perspective. Promoters have been unable to secure agreement due to money wrangling which has left us with the void.

Ultimately at the moment Joshua versus someone ( anyone) would be a minor ailment to this unsatisfactory state of limbo. He needs to fight and earn a living whilst cementing his place in history.. More importantly is that he hasn’t fought since September 2018 and Hearn still hasn’t confirmed an opponent. It appears that Jarrell Miller is going to be next but the much vaunted Wembley bout isn’t going to transpire as they are looking at the States to build up the AJ profile in the US market.

The rub is that for months now, we have been told a fight at Wembley would happen. We suspected that they had somebody lined up. Signs tentatively seemed good. Then that it all went out of the window……

Ultimately my venting of wrath will secure nothing for the fans. We can only hope that Wilder-Fury 2 is quickly signed and well adjudicated and the victor clearly identified. And let’s hope that Miller is also confirmed for our AJ. If he can provide a test to Joshua, that could make all subsequent fights that little bit more exciting. And even possible…..

Perhaps I was wrong all along and the heavyweights can still correct the mess.