AJ wants place on boxing’s tree top

LONDON. - For the first century of boxing’s rule as the dirtiest yet most glamorous branch of the sports entertainment industry, the undisputed heavyweight champion was the king of sport - from Jack Dempsey, then Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano and Muhammad Ali through to Mike Tyson.

While it is not a crown that has balanced easily on the head of any champion since the reign of Lennox Lewis at the turn of the millennium - mainly because the Klitschko brothers then split the kingdom - Anthony Joshua is building a case that might soon become irresistible for one man to rule alone again.

Eddie Hearn’s assertion that his champion is destined to become one of the biggest names in sport invariably has invited cynical chuckles among writers and commentators, given boxing’s struggle to regain its old supremacy in an era of digital distractions and football mania.

However, the handsome young millionaire from Watford - who aims to add to his growing collection of honours in his third consecutive stadium fight on Saturday night - is not laughing. He wants it all and his supporters, in their rapidly expanding thousands, want it for him too.

Joshua is a modern sporting phenomenon, a cash cow on a huge scale whose ultimate fortune could elevate him to stand comparison with Andy Murray, Lewis Hamilton, Rory McIlroy and even some of our overpaid footballers.