Who should AJ fight next?

[TitoFan]

OMG, all these retreads!

Whyte... Chisora... seems like these names come up every time one of the HW champions is stumped as to their next opponent.

Enough already!

That's why that post I put on the Heavyweight Fight Schedule thread is so important. We desperately need new blood!

So Fury-Joshua negotiations have gone nowhere?

Sounds vaguely familiar. What's the common denominator here?

Joshua! It would seem like.

Remember when Joshua-Wilder was going nowhere fast? We were all bored into a stupor, when Fury swooped in and saved the day.

"You don't want to fight Wilder, AJ? It's ok... I'll take it."

But geez... stop it already with the Whyte/Chisora reruns. Let's get some new blood in here.

Except Wilder admitted he avoided Joshua. It is pretty important element to not include.

Fury was never going to fight Joshua. He has put the nails into his own reputations coffin with the Chisora fight.

If by "avoided" you mean his adversity to accept the beyond ridiculous initial split thrown to him of 80/20... then have negotiations drag on interminably until Fury stepped in and spared us all the never-ending drama... then yes... I guess Wilder "avoided" Joshua. You make it sound like Team Joshua was chomping at the bit to face Wilder... when it's pretty much common knowledge that Team AJ was basically offering the unacceptable.

Regarding Fury's intentions with Joshua... I guess only Fury himself would know.

Not a Fury fan... not a Wilder fan... just a heavyweight fan. I don't carry the torch for any heavyweight, and just call 'em like I see them.

Seems like every time there are stalled or non-existent negotiations, AJ's involved.

I could easily dredge up tons of stuff , but it’s ridiculous to keep going back.
But one thing to think about……….when the AJ/Wilder negotiations were going on, Wilder was shooting his mouth off, but had had an operation on his arm, so would not even have been fit enough to go into camp at that time. But he carried on talking.
The time before this that Fury & AJ were negotiating, everything is agreed and just before it gets signed, Fury realises he’s contractually bound to fight Wilder again.
Could that not have been mentioned as a possible stumbling block?
So it’s still AJ’s fault?

To be clear and put some needed context into all of this... I actually like Joshua.

In comparing his fight against Wlad with Fury's fight against Wlad... I've gone on and on about how the AJ-Wlad fight was a real fight... whereas the Fury-Wlad fight was the borefest of the century.

I defend Joshua's choice of opponents vs Fury's because Fury has had the maddening record of fighting bums. It seemed totally out of character for him when he chose to take the Wilder challenge. Must've seen something some of us didn't.

The only time I've criticized Joshua severely was after his embarrassing soliloquy following his 2nd loss to Usyk.

BUT... facts are facts.

Maybe many here have selective memory... but I remember being totally frustrated at the soap opera that was the Joshua-Wilder negotiations for a fight that never happened.

Whether people want to say it was Wilder who ducked Joshua or vice versa that's neither here nor there. It's all fanaticism dressed as objectivity anyway.

Fact is the fight was never going to happen.

Then Fury swooped in and spared us further punishment. He took the Wilder fight and thus began the trilogy. At least SOMEBODY was fighting.

So let's all dispense with our knee-jerk protective reactions about Joshua. The guy doesn't walk on water, and has as many chinks in his armor as Wilder does.

In fact... that's another reason why they should STILL face each other. They've both been blown off their pedestals of invincibility... and their styles would promise a totally entertaining clash.

[Primo Carnera]

It’s not about being a fan or not. It’s not even about who beats who.
It’s about the fact that you implied that fights didn’t get made because of Joshua, when Infact all the fights that didn’t get made with Wilder and Fury were because of everybody EXCEPT Joshua.
I don’t even believe Joshua is that great, but I don’t think the other 2 clowns are either.

[TitoFan]

It’s not about being a fan or not. It’s not even about who beats who.
It’s about the fact that you implied that fights didn’t get made because of Joshua, when Infact all the fights that didn’t get made with Wilder and Fury were because of everybody EXCEPT Joshua.
I don’t even believe Joshua is that great, but I don’t think the other 2 clowns are either.

Well... you can speak for Joshua (uh... no, actually, you can't)... but you can't speak for his manager.

Making an offer of 80/20 to an opponent is another way of saying: "We have no intention of fighting you... and making this insulting offer is a way of saying we wanted to, when we actually didn't."

It's not about who's that great and who isn't.

[Beanz]

It’s not about being a fan or not. It’s not even about who beats who.
It’s about the fact that you implied that fights didn’t get made because of Joshua, when Infact all the fights that didn’t get made with Wilder and Fury were because of everybody EXCEPT Joshua.
I don’t even believe Joshua is that great, but I don’t think the other 2 clowns are either.

Well... you can speak for Joshua (uh... no, actually, you can't)... but you can't speak for his manager.

Making an offer of 80/20 to an opponent is another way of saying: "We have no intention of fighting you... and making this insulting offer is a way of saying we wanted to, when we actually didn't."

It's not about who's that great and who isn't.

That is lovely and all that but does nothing to deal with the FACT that two years ago now Wilder admitted he would have made more money fighting Joshua but decided to duck him and fight Fury instead. It has nothing to do with any kind of desire to protect Joshua's reputation. Wilder ducked him then admitted as much publicly.

[Primo Carnera]

It’s not about being a fan or not. It’s not even about who beats who.
It’s about the fact that you implied that fights didn’t get made because of Joshua, when Infact all the fights that didn’t get made with Wilder and Fury were because of everybody EXCEPT Joshua.
I don’t even believe Joshua is that great, but I don’t think the other 2 clowns are either.

Well... you can speak for Joshua (uh... no, actually, you can't)... but you can't speak for his manager.

Making an offer of 80/20 to an opponent is another way of saying: "We have no intention of fighting you... and making this insulting offer is a way of saying we wanted to, when we actually didn't."

It's not about who's that great and who isn't.

2 sides to every story. YES, he got offered 20% (I think it increased to 30-35% , but I might be mistaken.) BUT that 20% at the time equated to 5 TIMES Wilder’s biggest ever purse!
Let’s be clear, Wilder’s team were just as capable of making Joshua’s team an offer, but they never.
Pure and simple reason being that at the time (and probably still now.) it was Joshua that brings the money.
That’s why Wilder at the time couldn’t make an offer………because they weren’t capable of making an offer anywhere near Joshua/Matchroom’s.
So are you suggesting that Team Joshua, bring the money, do the promotion, sort out everything and then give it all to Wilder , who brings FUCK ALL to the title apart from a belt, of which Joshua already had some.

[Primo Carnera]

Scenario.
AJ says to Wilder “I’ll give you £10 million and I get £40 million.
Wilder says to Joshua - no 50/50 we both get £10 million.
WOULD YOU TAKE IT?

[TitoFan]

So I ask the both of you... what impression did you get from Joshua himself when talking to him about the negotiations with Wilder?
Did you get the sense that he and his team really wanted to fight Deontay?
Was Joshua's team serious about making the fight?

Oh... that's right... you weren't there.

Neither was I. Which is why I won't get into a "Wilder ducked Joshua... no... Joshua ducked Wilder debate."

All I know is the end result. After months of soap opera haggling... Fury swooped in and fought Wilder instead. Personally... I was relieved.




Now, Primo... is my memory correct? Was it you and Swanson posting page after page after page of "Wilder's ducking Joshua... no... it's the other way around"? Serious question.

Because if it was, I certainly don't want to revisit that.

I stopped theorizing about "X" ducking "Y" or "Y" ducking "X" a long time ago. It's pointless... and in the end, none of us were there.

[Primo Carnera]

So I ask the both of you... what impression did you get from Joshua himself when talking to him about the negotiations with Wilder?
Did you get the sense that he and his team really wanted to fight Deontay?
Was Joshua's team serious about making the fight?

Oh... that's right... you weren't there.

Neither was I. Which is why I won't get into a "Wilder ducked Joshua... no... Joshua ducked Wilder debate."

All I know is the end result. After months of soap opera haggling... Fury swooped in and fought Wilder instead. Personally... I was relieved.




Now, Primo... is my memory correct? Was it you and Swanson posting page after page after page of "Wilder's ducking Joshua... no... it's the other way around"? Serious question.

Because if it was, I certainly don't want to revisit that.

I stopped theorizing about "X" ducking "Y" or "Y" ducking "X" a long time ago. It's pointless... and in the end, none of us were there.

You’re right, yes it was , great memory.and I agree I don’t want to dredge all that up again.
And you’re also right that we weren’t there. That’s why I try to focus on the facts. But like you say, it’s gone and pretty pointless going on about it.