Anthony Joshua should earn another title shot against IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois by beating one of the solid contenders, such as Martin Bacole or Tyson Fury, should he come out of retirement.
No more free passes
Journeyman Dillian White and faded former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder are two names being mentioned as strong possibilities for Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) to fight next if ‘The Gypsy King’ Fury is not brought out of retirement. by Turki Al-Sheikh.
The idea would be for Joshua to use White, 36, or Wilder to rebuild his confidence and status in the boxing world before facing Dubois in a rematch this year. However, those two fighters are no longer relevant in the division today, and haven’t been for years.
What Joshua needs is to beat one of these heavyweights to earn the title the way regular fighters do:
– Martin Bakole
– Agit Kabayel
– Zhilei Zhang
– Joseph Parker
– Moses Itauma
AJ’s credibility disappeared after his fifth-round knockout loss to Dubois last September 21st in London, and he needs to establish himself as a guy who deserves a world title shot. That’s how it’s done for normal fighters and it’s not fair that Joshua would get a chance to fight for a world title after beating a washed-up Wilder or White.
Meritocracy over star power
“Where Anthony Joshua is at the moment, put him with Dillian Whyte and Deontay Wilder in the next six. If he gets those two fights, then give him a fight against (IBF heavyweight champion) Daniel Dubois if he wants a rematch or Tyson Fury,” said Garrett A. Davis. talkSport Boxing about Antonio Joshua.
“Tyson Fury makes sense if he’s going to box again, but definitely Daniel Dubois.” He’s the belt holder right now and he’s going this way (up), while Joshua is going this way (downhill),” said Adam Catterall. “He (AJ) has to win to earn the right to fight.”
“There has to be a meritocracy around it.” His profile needs to go out the window for a second. Joshua needs to get a solid fight to get back into the mix. I personally would like to see Fury fight, and if it’s not Fury, I’d like to push him to Martin Bakola. Why not? Bakole is the ultimate challenger, isn’t he?”
The way boxing is now, fighters who become pseudo-stars, like Joshua, don’t have to earn a title shot. They are given without needing to be completed to a position because it is a job.
If you’re a heavyweight belt, you’re going to fight Joshua because it means a big payday, but that makes boxing look more like a popularity contest than a real sport. It can’t be a real sport if the popular fighters don’t have to earn the title like regular fighters.
“Bakole is the big favorite there right now, the big favorite,” Garrett said of how Bakole would be favored to beat the 35-year-old Joshua, who is underdogs.
AJ would be fodder for Bakole at this point if that fight happens, but if he were to take that fight, he would show that he believes in trying to earn a title shot. Again, it would look bad for Joshua to get a rematch against Dubois after defeating the 39-year-old Wilder or White.
“Maybe so, but we’re talking about the best guys against the best.” Let’s go,” said Caterall.