By Trevor McIntyre: WBA heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and former WBA belt holder Alexander Povetkin have both reportedly signs for VADA drug testing ahead of their fight in September at a still to be determined venue in the UK.
The date that’s being talked about is September 22 or September 29. The potential venues for the Joshua-Povetkin fight are the following:
West Ham’s London Stadium
– Twickenham
– Wembley Stadium in London
– Hearn is leaning in the direction of having the Joshua vs. Povetkin fight take place on September 22.
The Joshua-Povetkin fight still hasn’t been formally announced by Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, but it’s expected to be soon. When the fight is announced, Hearn will reveal the date and the venue for the fight. Povetkin has tested positive in the past for a banned substance. Hopefully there won’t be any positive tests this time. Hearn should think about having a backup option for Joshua in case there’s a problem. It’s unclear how long it’s been since Joshua and Povetkin were last tested.
WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder would be a good backup for Joshua in case Povetkin turns up positive. However, with Hearn only willing to offer Wilder a flat fee of $15 million, it’s next to impossible for him to step in and fill in. The boxing fans want to see Joshua face Wilder, not fight Povetkin.
Hearn says Joshua doesn’t want to give up his WBA title, and that’s why he decided to fight Povetkin. The more logical theory is Hearn wants the Joshua-Povetkin fight for the kickoff for his DAZN subscription service in the U.S. Joshua vs. Povetkin isn’t a PPV fight, so it’s one that can be placed on DAZB to attract boxing fans in the States to subscribe to the network. Joshua vs. Wilder would be on PPV, and that’s a different story because it likely wouldn’t be on DAZN.
Joshua, 28, signing with VADA is a good thing for his career, but unfortunately it’s not going to keep some boxing fans from doubting whether he’s a clean fighter. Joshua’s heavily muscled physique has had a lot of fans questioning whether he’s a clean fighter since he first turned pro in 2012. At least now that Joshua (21-0, 20 KOs) is signed with VADA, he’ll be able to quiet many of the doubters.
It’s going to be interesting to see how Hearn talks up the Joshua vs. Povetkin fight.
Hearn is still trying to put together the Joshua-Wilder fight, but it’s now being pushed to 2019 on April 13. Hearn has taken an odd approach to trying to get Wilder to sign by telling the boxing world that the offer they’re giving him is $15 million. It almost looks like he’s trying to embarrass Wilder by mentioning the $15 million flat fee that he wants him to agree to because it’s believed to be far less than what Joshua will rake in for the fight if it comes off.
If Hearn is planning on trying to get boxing fans in the U.S to subscribe to his DAZN streaming season, then you can expect that he’ll look to make a fight between Joshua and Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller in April of 2019, and then Dillian Whyte or Joseph Parker.