The Daily Telegraph - Sport

Joshua now aims to become undisputed champion

Briton aims to become undisputed champion Wilder, Parker and Fury all in his sights next year

- Gareth A Davies BOXING CORRESPOND­ENT in Cardiff

Anthony Joshua’s two main heavyweigh­t rivals were quick to disparage his successful defence of the Internatio­nal Boxing Federation and World Boxing Associatio­n heavyweigh­t titles against Carlos Takam in Cardiff on Saturday night. It was an ugly win for the British fighter who moved to 20-0 in his career, all by stoppage, but Joshua maintained his pledge to unify the heavyweigh­t division next year.

The next step in the journey will either be a mandatory defence of the WBA belt, or a fight with World Boxing Organisati­on champion Joseph Parker, the promoter Eddie Hearn intimated hours after Joshua had forced a 10th-round referee stoppage against Takam.

Parker could face Joshua as soon as February, although negotiatio­ns will be complex. Yesterday he called the Briton “just average, robotic” while the World Boxing Council champion Deontay Wilder criticised the 28-year-old as an over-muscled weightlift­er with “stamina problems”.

Matters will all come to a head in 2018. The intriguing aspect, of course, is that the three holders of the four world-title belts are undefeated. So, indeed, is Tyson Fury, who could be in the mix by the end of next summer. “We all have to fight each other. It’s good for the sport and the public wants to see that,” said Joshua, who pledged going into Saturday’s contest that he will commit to making the unificatio­n fights next year. And it is Joshua, in whom there is huge interest, who holds the key to the match-ups.

Parker, who defeated Takam on points in May last year, saw nothing to fear in Joshua’s outing against the same opponent, who came in on 12 days’ notice.

“I’ve said it many times: I’d love to fight Joshua so I can show what I’ve got,” the New Zealander said. “He’s good – he’s big, strong and learning, but I think he’s just average, he’s robotic. The jab he was throwing was very slow. He steps up all the time but I don’t think he looked that impressive. wasn’t a lot of movement.

“He stood on the spot or tried to chase Takam down and catch him with big shots, but couldn’t knock him out. On 12 days’ notice [Takam] was very impressive – imagine if he’d had a full camp.”

Wilder, meanwhile, defends his WBC belt against Bermane Stiverne in a rematch on Saturday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. He added: “Joshua definitely has stamina problems. If I was him, whoever his stamina coach is, they need to be fired.

“There are a lot of things that Joshua is doing wrong that’s making him have those stamina problems. He works out way too much. All those muscles can be so heavy.

There It looks good but does it really benefit you though? This is boxing … not weightlift­ing.”

However, former undisputed world champion Lennox Lewis was far more encouragin­g. “This was just the type of fight – experience and adversity – that Anthony Joshua needed,” he tweeted. “He wasn’t at his best but, sometimes, you won’t always be and it’s those times you have to find a way. Some fall apart after a broken nose. He remained composed and controlled.”

Indeed, Joshua’s developing fighting intelligen­ce will be the key to longevity if he is to fulfil his promise. The urgent instructio­n delivered by head trainer Rob Mccracken from the corner not to simply hunt for the knockout punch against Takam was telling.

There was an air of relief from Joshua, and Hearn, that a potential banana skin was avoided after the late withdrawal, through injury, of original opponent Kubrat Pulev. Hearn, indeed, has not ruled out a fight next year against Fury, who is still waiting for a final ruling from UK Anti-doping on a suspended drugs ban after the hearing was adjourned in July.

“I think the Wilder fight is potentiall­y one of the biggest in world boxing and I think that fight is realistica­lly going to happen in the summer of 2018. I would like AJ to box three times in 2018,” said Hearn yesterday.

“He doesn’t have to, it’s down to Anthony. We may have a mandatory with the WBA which is unclear at the moment.

“There’s Parker, there’s Deontay Wilder. I would like him to have an internatio­nal fight in 2018, but it does seem a shame to leave all this. It’s about sitting down and seeing what he wants to do. He’s capable of fighting in any territory. We need a clear plan moving forward.”

Indeed, Stephen Espinoza, head of sport at Showtime, the American broadcaste­rs with whom Joshua has a deal, floated the possibilit­y of a major fight in Africa 43 years after the ‘Rumble In The Jungle’ between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. “I think it would be a tremendous move if Joshua went to Nigeria or anywhere in Africa,” he said. “I think it provides a really interestin­g story because of his heritage. It invokes the memory of Ali.

“Sometimes there are different perception­s of Africa but Nigeria has a thriving middle class. Bigger than anywhere else in Africa.

“It’s a safe place with a good middle class. I think the time is right to host a world heavyweigh­t championsh­ip there.”

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 ??  ?? Heavy blow: Anthony Joshua lands a right on the challenger Carlos Takam
Heavy blow: Anthony Joshua lands a right on the challenger Carlos Takam
 ??  ?? Grand plans: Eddie Hearn is hoping to set up three big bouts for Anthony Joshua in 2018
Grand plans: Eddie Hearn is hoping to set up three big bouts for Anthony Joshua in 2018
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