By: Sean Crose
Does former WBA, IBF and WBO world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua have what it takes to sit down atop the heavyweight division once more? That is the query on the minds of followers and analysts alike because the towering Englishman prepares for a rematch on August 12 in opposition to previous foe Dillian Whyte. Whereas Joshua received his final combat, a unanimous determination win over Jermaine Franklin in April, the person hasn’t appeared dominant since stopping Kubrat Pulev on the finish of 2020. There was the lack of his titles to Oleksandr Usyk the next September after which one other loss to Usyk slightly below a yr later. Then some bizarre rambling dialog on the ring mic after that combat was over.
It is clearly been a very long time since Joshua appeared just like the ‘man’ within the heavyweight division. It wasn’t too way back that fighters like Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury appeared pressured to attend their flip to combat the favored Joshua. Even after being shocked by Andy Ruiz on his American debut, Joshua well determined to combat his solution to victory within the rematch, later exhibiting the world that he was greater than only a energy puncher. He was lastly set to combat Fury for the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world when information broke that Fury was legally certain to face Deontay Wilder for the third time as a substitute.
And the remainder, as they are saying, is historical past.
First got here the loss to former heavyweight kingpin Usyk, then got here the loss within the rematch, full with that rambling discuss on the ring mic. Issues appeared unhealthy for Joshua on the time as a result of, frankly, they have been. Now, nevertheless, the person seeks to vary issues. Whyte is definitely the right opponent for Joshua to combat subsequent. He is crushed the person earlier than, however there is not any assure Joshua can beat Whyte twice in a row. At this level, Whyte is precisely what Joshua wants, a proficient and difficult opponent who’s a bit previous his prime. If Joshua impressed, he needs to be again within the high echelon of the heavyweight division. Ought to he lose to Whyte, although…
‘The great thing about sport’, Every day mail quotes Joshua as saying, “there’s all the time a subsequent likelihood to show myself, so it doesn’t matter what, there is a course of that I am following and I simply know that if we take a look at historical past, I will be fantastic with it.” On the very least, Joshua seems to have the precise perspective forward of Whyte’s rematch, an important ingredient for fulfillment, though he’s admittedly one in all many.
