Joshua may make sport must-see TV
london
Anthony Joshua remained in the ring long after 90,000 of his supporters had filed out of Wembley Stadium, posing happily for pictures with his team and hugging just about everyone he knew.
No reason to leave early when being the heavyweight champion is so much fun.
“I just want to fight everyone, man,” Joshua said. “I’m really loving this right now.”
There was a lot to love Saturday night in front of a packed crowd at England’s national stadium, where Joshua got off the canvas to stop longtime champion Wladimir Klitschko in a coming out party of sorts that electrified the boxing world.
The biggest heavyweight fight in British history was also the best. There was an epic fifth round where Joshua knocked Klitschko down and then held on himself to survive, along with a knockdown a round later by Klitschko.
And when Joshua had finished almost taking Klitschko’s head off in the 11th round, a heavyweight division moribund for years was suddenly very much alive once again.
Just five years removed from winning an Olympic gold medal in London, Joshua stopped a fighter who dominated the heavyweight division for nearly a decade. Though the win came with some anxious moments for the hometown fans, it also established Joshua as a superstar in the making who just might be the fighter who can make boxing must-see TV once again.
“Anthony was better today than I,” Klitschko said. “It’s really sad that I didn’t make it tonight. I was planning to do it. It didn’t work. But all the respect to Anthony, congratulations.”
A heavyweight title fight unlike any seen in the country that invented boxing didn’t just end with the hometown favourite’s hand aloft in victory. It ended in such spectacular fashion that Joshua can now write his own ticket in a heavyweight division long starved for star power.
That will at some point likely include a megafight with American Deontay Wilder, who owns a piece of the title and is a huge puncher himself. It could include a rematch with Klitschko, who had it written into his contract that he would have that right should he lose.
And then there’s Tyson Fury, the British nomad who upset Klitschko in 2015 before being waylaid by mental and other issues. Joshua
toronto
P.J. Tucker watched Toronto’s historic Eastern Conference final series against Cleveland last season, and the scrappy then-Phoenix Suns small forward thought about how much he could help the Raptors.
A year later, Tucker will get a chance to.
The Raptors open the Eastern Conference semis on Monday against the Cavaliers, and they believe they’re a better team against their familiar foe after acquiring Tucker and Serge Ibaka at February’s trade deadline.
“It’s big,” said DeMar DeRozan, on having Tucker. “He is known for his defence. He is one of the best on-the-ball defenders. Strength-wise he is up there with LeBron, being able to bang him up, put a strong body on him after DeMarre (Carroll) starts out on him. So it’s great to be able to go our bench and have a guy like P.J. Tucker. . . pretty sure we are going to use that weapon.”
The Raptors took the Cavaliers to six games in the team’s first-ever conference final appearance last season. Then team president Masai Ujiri made a big defensive upgrade when he traded for Tucker and Ibaka.
Coach Dwane Casey said the team is now much better equipped to handle the Cavs.
“I think whoever we had to beat, I thought Serge and P.J. were great acquisitions for us to build a playoff style team,” Casey said. “That was a great move for this organization to have. . . the versatility with both of them. I don’t think you wake up dreaming ‘We gotta make every move to beat Cleveland.’ P.J. Tucker (2) watched the Toronto Raptors’ historic playoff run last season, and immediately thought he could help the Raptors. A year later, Tucker will get a chance to.
At a glance
No. 2 Cleveland Cavaliers (51-31, 4-0 in playoffs) vs. No. 3 Toronto Raptors (51-31, 4-2)
Season series: Cavaliers, 3-1.
Storyline: Rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference finals, won by Cleveland in six games. The Cavaliers then beat the Raptors three more times in the first six weeks of this season before Toronto won on the final night with LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love all sitting out.
Key matchup: James vs. Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker. Toronto acquired the defensive-minded forwards during the regular season but they didn’t have much success stopping Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo in the first round. Antetokounmpo is good. James, who averaged a spectacular 32.8 points, 9.8 rebounds and 9.0 assists in a first-round sweep of Indiana, is better.
But to play playoff basketball, you have to have guys like that.
Obviously the biggest challenge
for the Raptors is slowing down the freight train that is LeBron James, who averaged 26 points, 8.5 rebounds and 6.7 assists in last year’s series against Toronto. The 31-yearold Tucker said there is “no one” in the league like him. Tucker recalled trying to guard him in one particular game when James was with the Miami Heat. The plan was to force James to take long, 18-19 foot jump shots.
Casey compared James to a free safety in football - roaming around on defence, ready to pounce on passes - and deadly on offence, on numerous levels.
“He’s one of the greatest players in the world right now,” Casey said. “You’re not gonna stop a guy like that. You take away some certain things he likes to do and not let him get to where he wants to go as easily.
“What makes him a doublewhammy is the fact that he’s a great passer and a willing passer for his size.”