By Tim Parsons-
Anthony Joshua has a big catching up to do to be considered the division’s best even though he has three of the main belts.
After Tyson Fury dominated Deontey Wilder in Las Vegas after a two meetings, and one controversial draw, the gypsy king is looking like the division’s top man. Joshua and Wilder were in never ending negotiations for a heavyweight clash, venue and money arising as stumbling blocks at various junctures of the negotiation process.
Then the daring Tyson Fury took on the challenge with just three come back fights and achieved a debatable draw which many people thought Fury deserved to win. With the dominant performance he put on in bullying the hardest hitting puncher in boxing history, Fury is already being seen as the favourite for a clash with Anthony Joshua to unify the heavyweight world title belts. It has to be nothing short of unlucky for Joshua that he also lost time by the shock defeat in the hands of Andy Ruiz Jnr and was no where as convincing in victory as Tyson Fury was against Wilder.
Again we have a scenario where the man with one belt (WBC)is widely regarded as the best in the division, where as there is another guy with three belts who on paper has that no 1 spot, but not regarded as the best.
It gets worse when we think that Wilder is about to invoke his rematch clause, meaning Fury gets another chance to shine more and raise his profile in America. Fury is in the position Joshua should be, and the Londoner could make it worse if he fights Fury and loses to him, as the pundits believe would happen.
Image:Fury beats Wilder in Wbc Championship fight
Joshua up until Fury’s first fight was the most celebrated heavyweight boxer in Britain, but Fury may have just overtaken him to gain that spot. Joshua has to begin preparing for Fury and broaden his training and skills set if he is to beat the new heavyweight king of the division. Most fans would by now agree that Wilder’s chances of avenging this comprehensive defeat is slim, though his big right hand can always be a winner in title fights. Anthony Joshua is under pressure to look destructive in his next fight to remind fans that he is the main champion.