This is Rummy’s Corner.
This past weekend, former 2-time unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua had his first bout
since losing back-to-back fights against Oleksandr Usyk.
His opponent was Jermaine Franklin, and many observers were expecting AJ to make a big
statement and score a highlight reel knockout to get his career back on track.
That didn’t happen.
Instead, AJ seemed content to box and work behind his jab, and at the end of 12 rounds,
Joshua was awarded a unanimous decision victory, where two judges scored it 117-111, and the
other judge had it 118-111.
With that victory, Joshua is back in the winning column after having lost 3 of his previous
5 going in.
Despite being awarded a comfortable victory on the cards, many fans seem down on AJ’s
performance.
A lot of fans are wondering if we will ever see the “old AJ” again, noting that he
looks tentative and unsure of himself, lacking the confidence he previously displayed when
he was viewed as one of the very best heavyweights in the world.
His overall demeanor has indeed changed from when he was in the midst of his first reign,
which was highlighted by his career defining victory against former long time heavyweight
champion Wladimir Klitschko.
The general perception now is that AJ has no faith in his ability to take a big punch,
and as such, he fights more conservatively, more cautiously, and the good combinations
he was once known for throwing seems to be a thing of the past.
Indeed, some fans are critical of AJ’s performance to the point that they are even suggesting
AJ should retire from boxing.
Oof madone!
First let me say that AJ should only retire if he feels it’s time.
There are a lot of potentially huge events on the horizon, which could potentially include
huge paydays, and they are fights that he COULD conceivably win.
And as far as Joshua’s performance against Franklin, I honestly think many fans are being
a bit harsh on the former two-time heavyweight champion.
AJ’s ego was badly bruised following the back-to-back losses against Usyk, and the
important thing for him to do was win - and he did win, comfortably and without any controversy
whatsoever.
I thought Joshua’s jab looked very good, where he was effectively controlling the range
and the rhythm.
And on top of that he was sneaking in some solid right hands throughout, and he even
seemed to be working on his uppercut, which he landed with some authority at various points,
especially later in the fight.
Considering this was AJ trying to rebound in his first bout with a new trainer, I thought
he did exactly what he needed to do - win!
And considering that Franklin is a decent boxer with a sharp punch and pretty good movement,
AJ still won the bout without much difficulty.
A win is a win.
So can AJ become a 3-time heavyweight champion?
I have no idea!
What the hell do I know?
Maybe he can, maybe he can’t.
But the thing of it is, the heavyweight landscape can change suddenly and dramatically with
one well placed punch.
Right now, Tyson Fury is the WBC and lineal world heavyweight champion, and AJ’s former
conqueror Oleksandr Usyk is the unified IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion.
But with the undisputed showdown we all wanted, seemingly dead as a doornail right now, that
presumably means Fury and Usyk will defend their respective championships against other
players, where again, one punch can change the entire landscape.
But more significantly still, perhaps, is the fact that the corrupt alphabet organizations
are also capable of shaking things up to line their own pockets.
Right now, as long as Usyk holds three alphabet belts, it doesn’t seem likely that AJ will
regain any of those.
But AJ is still a popular heavyweight superstar, who draws fans and attention and money.
If one of those alphabet belts strips Usyk, or if Usyk vacated one to pursue a big time
showdown against a Tyson Fury or a Deontay Wilder, then the field might be wide open
for AJ to compete for a vacant strap, and with the corrupt alphabet organizations not
ranking boxers based on merit, but more of a pay to play scheme, it’s possible that
AJ can wind up facing someone who isn’t quite elite to regain a belt.
And then we have the possibility of AJ having a big time British showdown against Tyson
Fury.
While most observers seem to believe that Fury would beat AJ should they fight, that’s
not a guarantee, because Fury himself is a bit of an oddball loose cannon who is at times
inconsistent with an inclination to fight down to his level of competition.
The greater point I’m trying to make here, is that while I have no idea what the hell
might eventually happen, and while he may need a few things to break his way for a feasible
opportunity to present itself, it’s certainly possible that Joshua can indeed win another
major world championship.
And even if he never does win another championship, there are a lot of potentially big paydays
out there for the 33 year old former two-time heavyweight champ.
Right now Deontay Wilder is in a similar boat following his back-to-back losses against
Fury.
Wilder had already bounced back from those losses, when he scored a 1st round knockout
against Robert Helenius.
Even if AJ and Wilder never get another shot at a title fight, they are still two of the
biggest names in this generation of heavyweights, and they can both still potentially be involved
in some huge boxing events - perhaps even a long awaited showdown between the two of
them, even if it winds up happening 5 or 6 years later than when it ought to have happened,
when they both bottled it, much like Fury and Usyk recently bottled it.
At the end of the day, AJ may never win another championship, but if he ever hoped to do so
he got off to the right start this past weekend.
As the old saying goes - WIN TODAY, LOOK GOOD TOMORROW.
So what do you think?
Will Anthony Joshua become a 3-time heavyweight champion?
Please share your thoughts in the comment section.
Thank you very much for watching everyone, I hope you enjoyed, and have a wonderful night.
This is Rummy’s Corner.