By Chris Williams: After his 7th round knockout win over Luis Ortiz last Saturday night, WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder hinted to the media that his knockout power is the reason why Anthony Joshua and his promoter Eddie Hearn haven’t set-up a fight with him. They know what’s going to happen if they make that fight.
Wilder (42-0-1, 41 KOs) has been trying to make a fight with Joshua for three years without luck, and he’s now actively rooting for IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. to get him out of the picture permanently on December 7th. Joshua is someone that isn’t serious about making a fight against him, according to Wilder, and he doesn’t want to deal with him holding the titles hostage.
We know why Joshua didn’t want that fight – Deontay
“We know the reason why they didn’t want that to happen,”said Wilder about Hearn and Joshua not wanting to fight him. “I’m looking forward to him [Ruiz] winning the fight again, so that we can have one champion, one face and one name.
“We’re [Ruiz] in the same stable, we’re friends, and it’s going to be an amazing fight. When it happens, it’ll be something that should have happened a long time ago in the heavyweight division,” said Wilder.
Joshua and Hearn could have made the fight with Wilder years ago, but it didn’t happen. The root of the problem is Hearn’s focus on what Wilder brings to the table in terms of fans, and talking about the ticket sales for his fights.
Hearn has talked about Joshua being a bigger name, and a better ticket and PPV seller than Wilder. All this led to Hearn not viewing Wilder as being worthy of equal status, and, of course, he wasn’t going to offer Wilder what he wants. That’s probably not going to change even if Joshua loses to Ruiz on December 7th. If anything, it might strengthen Hearn’s position of not offering Wilder what he wants.
Bellew says Joshua not avoiding Wilder
“He always does,” said Bellew about Wilder having something to say. “Of course, he’s going to say something like that, but you don’t fight the people he fights and not want to fight,” said Bellew in responding to the comment Wilder made about Joshua NOT wanting to fight him. He’s [Joshua] been consistently been calling out the world champions since he turned professional.
“How can Anthony Joshua not want to fight these world champions. Let’s remember, he was fighting world champions in his 16th fight. He became unified champion in his 17th or 18th fight. So who has beaten more world champions? Deontay Wilder or Anthony Joshua?
“Who has got the better resume? It’s not even open for debate. So it’s insane to suggest that this man [Joshua] doesn’t want to fight the best.
That’s all he’s done his whole career. Let’s not forget this man sold out the Wembley Arena against Taxi drivers. So this kid sells out abnormally well. He faces everyone and anyone. In my mind, he wins this [Ruiz rematch], and goes back to where he belongs at the top of the heavyweight division,” said Bellew.
Obviously, Bellew wouldn’t know whether Joshua and Hearn want the Wilder fight. They’ve done a good job of talking about wanting to make the fight with Wilder, but they’ve done precious little to make the fight happen.
Joshua will beat Ruiz by “fantastic fashion”
“AJ wins the rematch, and he does it in fantastic fashion,” said Tony Bellew about the Anthony Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz Jr. rematch. “He’s going to be cool and calm. He knows what he’s going in against this time. This is nothing new now, and he knows what he’s got to do,” said Bellew.
“It’s just a minor blip,” said Bellew about Joshua’s loss to Ruiz last June. “Well, Lennox Lewis lost to Hasim Rahman. Was he different, and was he all of a sudden labeled terrible or what he not the best heavyweight in the world? It’s just that heavyweights have blips. Anthony Joshua, I’m not saying he’s Lennox Lewis, because he’s not.
“What I’m saying is that when the heavyweight champion of the world loses, and comes back and gets it straight away, it’s obvious just a minor blip. He has a chance to put that right on December 7th in Saudi Arabia. He’s the best athlete in the heavyweight division in the last 20 years,” said Bellew about Joshua.
It’s guesswork on Bellew’s part in picking Joshua to win the rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr on December 7th. It’s a poor guess by Bellew, because the way people judge the future is on past actions by people or things.
What we know about Joshua is he was knocked out in the 7th round by Ruiz after gassing out, and getting dropped 4 times last June. Given that performance, the logical prediction about what will happen in the Joshua-Ruiz rematch is going to be a knockout win for Andy.
Bellew explains why Joshua gasses out in fights
“People say, ‘why does he get tired?’ The reason he gets tired is because of the way he tenses of during fights,” said Bellew in addressing Joshua’s stamina problems. “When he relaxes when he fights, he can do 12 rounds easy.
“Just watch him against Joseph Parker. But if he wants to get into a slugging match and tense up and be stiff, he ain’t going to last 12 rounds. He’s not going to last four. The fittest man in the world, if he stiffens and tenses up, he’s not going to last 4 rounds,” said Bellew.
Joshua tenses up during his fights, and he’s also carrying around too much muscle. But his physique is all wrong for the sport of boxing. He’s built for short 6 round fights where he can unload on his opponents, and not worry when he gasses out.
