Heavyweight talking points: A new landscape, Irish prospects and what comes next
OUCH: Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois in the IBF World Heavy weight bout at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
In boxing, it is all about the bottom line. Ultimately, everyone is concerned with their own corner. As soon as Daniel Dubois stunned Wembley Stadium with an incredible knockout of Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury summed up what it meant to him.
“Listen, that has cost me 150 million,” he declared ringside.
27-year-old British boxer Dubois remains the IBF titleholder after the extraordinary events of Saturday night. Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn immediately spoke about a rematch.
Frank Warren went on to clarify that his fighter Dubois does not have a rematch clause but there is one in Joshua’s contract.
The defeat prompted much speculation about whether Joshua would ever face Oleksandr Usyk or Tyson Fury, who will clash in a rematch later this year. One guarantee is that there will be more blockbuster meetings between the top prospects.
Saudi Arabia.
The latest evolution in a peculiar partnership came on Saturday night when the Saudi national anthem was played and the arena was illuminated in green and white.
The event was billed as ‘Riyadh Season: Wembley Edition.’ This partnership has prompted a dramatic shift in the sport.
There as a time when Hearn and Warren could hardly speak to each other, never mind partake in joint promotions.
Previous barriers like different major organisations have been overcome to deliver enticing cards. Usyk and Fury’s rematch will take place in Saudi Arabia.
The reach is wide. On Friday night, Cork’s Callum Walsh defended his WBC Continental Americas Super Welterweight title at Dublin’s 3Arena with a devastating second-round knockout against Przemyslaw Runowski.
The fight was live on UFC Fight Pass and ostensibly promoted by Dana White. Walsh had Riyad Season branding on his shorts.
“Sheikh Turki invited him to the fight tomorrow in London,” White said in the post-fight press conference.
“He invited Callum to go to the show. Callum hasn’t told me if he will go or not, he has family in town. But he has an invitation.
“They were sponsors. They sponsored the show tonight. Riyad wasn’t the sponsor. Anthony Joshua vs Dubois was the sponsor.”
There is a bigger picture here too. Journalist Oliver Brown claimed he was barred from attending Saturday’s world title bout after criticising Saudi Arabia sportswashing.
Amnesty International has urged top heavyweights to “speak out” about the “urgent need for human rights reform” in the country.
Boxing has always been part of the Saudi sportswashing strategy under Mohammed bin Salman.
The 2018 contest between George Groves and Callum Smith took place one week before dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi was brutally murdered in 2018.
Dubois has options. Warren believes he conquer over the division. He has already suggested that he wants Usyk next. The undisputed champion overcame a controversial low blow to defeat Dubois last year.
The Andy Lee-trained Joseph Parker was on DAZN commentary and said he was a willing opponent: “If he wants to get it on, let’s go.”
Martin Bakole and Agit Kabayel are moving into the world title challenge category while the British heavyweight scene remains active.
Meanwhile, heavy-hitting southpaw Zhilei Zhang has put together a string of impressive victories, including an awesome knockout of Deontay Wilder in June.
Wilder’s trainer Malik Scott has suggested his fighter will return in 2025 and did not rule out a bout against Joshua.
The pair are both looking to bounce back from the brink. In a video statement on Monday, Joshua vowed that he will not retire.
Few sports can rival boxing for its tendency to indulge in ‘the good old days.’
The Golden Age for the heavyweight division came in the 1960s and 70s, although there have been other fruitful periods as well. Nostalgia is an endlessly seductive option and a deceiving one.
Muhammad Ali, Foreman, Fra, Norton and Larry Holmes were all titans. It is an almighty highlight reel, but sport does not play out in highlights. Some fights were still slogs and there were quiet periods.
The game has naturally changed too. ‘Big’ George Foreman is of a similar build to Usyk now, who is considered an undersized heavyweight.
Joshua would have an advantage of 3 inches and 30 pounds on the Hall of Famer legend.
In truth, it is not about how they compare against each other as much as it is what the crop contributes together. Joshua never took on Fury or Wilder at their peak.
The division will always be popular if the best are pitted against the best.
Dublin heavyweight Thomas Carty moved to 9-0, 8KOs last Friday at the 3Arena as he gradually works his way towards a targeted top-10 ranking.
The 28-year-old is managed by Dillian Whyte while Dana White declared his interest in taking him stateside soon.
Carty has sparred Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. His camp has noted there isn’t a particular blueprint for him, so they have to carefully manage it. The last person to hold the Irish heavyweight title was Tyson Fury.
An intriguing contest could come in Britain’s Johnny Fisher (12-0, 11 KOs), who said earlier this year he was interested in the matchup.
“Whether I want to do that in Ireland when I am the one with thousands of supporters, that is another thing. I’d rather it be in England. Fighting an Irishman in England is a tough ask,” said Fisher.
“That is a fight for the future, definitely.”
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