A Week in Review Ok, so maybe it’s a little more than a week, but it’s still worth discussing. On Saturday, September 15, 2018, boxing fans across the globe were treated to a high-octane, fist-flying, middleweight fight, which did not disappoint. Gennady Golovkin (38-1-1, 34 KOs) put both of his major sanctioned belts on the line [NOTE: GGG had 3 but was recently stripped of the IBF for not fighting its mandatory, Sergiy Derevyanchenko, in the allotted time]. After 12 rounds of back-and-forth action, the decision was awarded to his successor, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (50-1-2, 34 KOs).
Many saw the fight in favor of GGG [This reporter had a scorecard of 115-113 for GGG]. Listen, it was a great fight, and it should be understood that a close fight, such as this, has a tendency to go either way when left in the hands of the judges. That being said, it was meant to be since the biggest fight in boxing would be a third fight between the men. Was that predetermined? You be the judge.
This past Saturday night (September 22, 2018), Anthony Joshua (22-0, 21 KOs) put his 3 major sanctioned titles on the line when coming in contact with – who many felt had been long under-appreciated – mandatory challenger and former secondary belt holder, Alexander Povetkin (34-2, 24 KOs) of Russia.
It was Povetkin who controlled the fight early, racking up rounds with every heavy-handed power shot he landed. It was not to be, however, as Povetkin began to tire in the middle rounds, and the accurately placed jabs thrown by AJ were apparently getting to him. There was more than a glimmer of hope for the challenger, though, whose experience brought him into the 7th round before he ultimately succumbed to AJ’s counter-power.
This fight may be a true testament to just how Anthony Joshua could potentially lose. After all, he’s been down on the canvas more than once, struggled right to the end with Wladimir Klitschko, and has shown flashes of inferiority against who many would consider to be “lesser opponents”. Undefeated, former unified champion, Tyson Fury (27-0, 19 KOs) took to social media immediately following Saturday’s fight, stating, “Joshua… If I were you, I’d stay away from me.”
Dillian Whyte (24-1, 17 KOs) is making some noise in the heavyweight division these days, and a rematch with Joshua may be just what the doctor ordered. Luis Ortiz (29-1, 25 KOs) is more than a viable candidate after the fight he put up against WBC Champion Deontay Wilder (40-0, 39 KOs). Of course, then there is the winner of the December 1st bout between Wilder and Fury. Let us not forget Joseph Parker (24-2, 18 KOs), the former WBO Champion, who lost that belt to Joshua in their meeting this past March. Being that Parker is the only opponent ever to go the distance with Joshua, he seems almost worthy of a rematch. However, before that happens, a Joshua-Whyte rematch should take precedent, as Whyte just beat Parker in a 12-round contest to put himself a notch above Parker in the ladder.
And, around and around we go. The Heavyweight Division is back in full-force with a lot of talent circulating once again. The masses would love to see a complete unification of the division, which would require willing opponents in Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua, as well as the nod from all 4 major sanctioning bodies. Joshua already has a date (April 13, 2019) and a location (back at Wembley Stadium in London, England). All he needs now is an opponent. Who will it be? One may have to wait around a few months before that answer may become solidified.
Mike Feinberg
The Fighting News Reporter
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