BOUT IN USA BECKONS HEAVYWEIGHT JOSHUA
Promoter Hearn coy about location of star’s next fight
Anthony Joshua’s dramatic knockout victory against Wladimir Klitschko led to the unanimous conclusion that the British heavyweight star is a major part of boxing ’s immediate future.
Where that future lies, however, will be the subject of discussion, negotiation and conjecture over the coming months.
Joshua finished Klitschko in the 11th round of an absorbing fight Saturday night at Wembley Stadium to retain his IBF belt, add the WBA title and make himself — according to promoter Eddie Hearn — “the biggest star in world boxing.”
His explosive efforts that included flooring Klitschko in the fifth round before going down himself in the sixth captured the attention of an American audience for the first time. Given that the USA is seen as the place to be for fighters seeking to maximize their financial earnings, a bout across the Atlantic would appear to be a natural step.
“It is a high priority for us, but more importantly it is a high priority for Anthony,” Stephen Espinoza, the executive vice president of Showtime Sports, told USA TODAY Sports. Showtime holds the rights to Joshua’s next two fights and figures to play a significant role in his career path.
“No matter the success he enjoys here in Britain, there is always the lure of the U.S. and the cultural and financial significance that it still enjoys. He grew up listening to a lot of American music and watching American fighters.
“There is a lure not just for financial reasons but conquering the unconquered and breaking a new frontier. It is sort of uncharted territory. For most of the U.S. audience, this was their first exposure to him, and you couldn’t get a better introduction.”
Las Vegas or New York would be key potential locations if Joshua fought stateside, with an army of traveling British support likely to follow him in even greater numbers than the likes of Ricky Hatton or Lennox Lewis in the past. As for possible opponents, assuming Klitschko, 41, declines the rematch he is contractually entitled to, WBC champion Deontay Wilder — the Alabamian who sat ringside at Wembley — would offer the most enticing matchup for an American clientele.
Joshua appeared to call undefeated Tyson Fury postfight, but that bout would make far more sense in England, given that both men live there and have established fan bases.
“There are discussions beyond our current deal,” Espinoza added. “But we know the price probably just went up.”
Those negotiations might be behind the non-committal comments of Hearn, who tried very hard to remain coy on a possible U.S. adventure.
“We don’t necessarily have to go to the U.S.,” Hearn said. “I don’t know if you saw tonight, (with a crowd of 90,000), but I don’t know if you can do that in the U.S.”
“I think China is more likely next. We’ve had conversations out there. It is a huge market, huge money.”
Hearn is a savvy negotiator, and it is likely the China ploy is little more than an attempt at executing greater leverage for his client. Even while floating the concept that Joshua could follow in the footsteps of Muhammad Ali by fighting in multiple nations on several continents, he surely knew as well as anyone that the kind of money offered if Joshua were to become a major star in the USA would be unrivaled.
“The Brits and promoters from other countries often resent the implication the U.S. is the end-all and be-all in boxing,” Espinoza said. “To be fair, there hasn’t been a U.S. fight that has generated this level of attendance in the last 50 years. You can’t really argue with the results.
“Having said that, there are rewards awaiting from exposing Anthony to this vast population, 300 million people, most of which have not discovered him yet. It is a huge opportunity that he is barely scratching the surface with right now.”
Joshua made more than $15 million Saturday yet remains remarkably humble, still living at home with his mother, Yeta, in a small flat in a London suburb. With 19 knockout wins from 19 fights and now the signature triumph against Klitschko under his belt, his upside is virtually limitless.
“I am a good guy,” Joshua said, when asked what the U.S. audience should know about him. “I love fighting; I don’t back down. Now I am at the forefront, I can’t get complacent. I have got to go out there and defend it.”