Will it be Joshua-Parker or Joshua-Wilder next?

Will it be Joshua-Parker or Joshua-Wilder next?

It’s all down to the money side of things now. This is certainly how it looks, anyway. Deontay Wilder, as relentless as ever with his calling out of rival heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua – now telling BBC Sport he will come to England to fight “little girl” Joshua if he has to do so – wants to fight, as he puts it “ASAP.”

Joshua too says he wants the fight, but Wilder is not so sure AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn wants it: “I think Eddie is ducking more so than Joshua,” the WBC ruler said. So, as the two sides argue over the cash split (Hearn is, as we know, extremely reluctant to give Wilder anything close to a 50-50 split) WBO boss Joseph Parker enters the scene in a major way.

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Let’s face it – Wilder knocks Joshua out

Let's face it – Wilder knocks Joshua out

Raw, viciously powerful, awkward, utterly unpredictable and oh, so hard to train for Vs. composed, thunderingly powerful, steady and liable to gas out: which wins?

This is the heavyweight question that needs answering and soon.

It’s unbeaten Deontay Wilder, 39-0(38) and the reigning WBC heavyweight king against unbeaten Anthony Joshua, 20-0(20) and the reigning WBA and IBF king.

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Memorable first-round KO’s in world heavyweight championship history

Memorable first-round KO's in world heavyweight championship history

WBC heavyweight king Deontay Wilder scored that quite special thing this past Saturday night: a first-round knockout in a world heavyweight title fight. It’s a sight to behold: one man, defending or challenging for the (one-time) biggest prize in sports and putting on an utterly destructive performance that sees him walk away the victor inside a mere three-minutes.

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Viciously victorious over Stiverne, Wilder again calls out Joshua

Viciously victorious over Stiverne, Wilder again calls out Joshua

Well, Deontay Wilder sure made Bermane Stivere eat his words last night in their basically pointless return fight. Ahead of the rematch, former WBC champ Stiverne boldly stated how “No-one ever knocks me out. It isn’t gonna happen.”

It did happen, though, inside the very first-round last night in New York as a rampaging, viciously determined Wilder absolutely crushed his sixth title challenger, scoring three knockdowns in rapid fashion. Whether or not Wilder’s critics will have been impressed with the win, the 38th KO win picked up by Wilder in his 39 pro wins, is another matter. Stiverne, in poor physical condition, was a slow and easy target, some will say, adding how Wilder simply could not miss. Still, Wilder has sickening power and until anyone beats him he has every right to claim he is “The Man” at heavyweight.

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Tyson Fury compares his coming back to Ali’s epic return to the crown versus Foreman

Tyson Fury compares his coming back to Ali's epic return to the crown versus Foreman

It’s just talk and will remain as such until he gets his license back, but former and unbeaten heavyweight ruler Tyson Fury is busy calling out not only his rival Brit Anthony Joshua, but also Deontay Wilder.

As convinced as ever that he has the beating of both the reigning WBA/IBF champ along with the current WBC king, Fury has declared, once again, how he will be back. And this time, via his twitter page, Fury has said his return to glory by “taking down” Joshua will be just like the great Muhammad Ali’s return to the crown against George Foreman back in 1974.

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Warren: Comparing Joshua to Ali? It is beyond stupid

Warren: Comparing Joshua to Ali? It is beyond stupid

Top British boxing promoter Frank Warren says that anyone who compares reigning WBA and IBF heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua to the great, the, well, incomparable Muhammad Ali is saying something that is “beyond stupid.”

Most fans, in fact virtually all of them, will agree perfectly with Warren; although, shockingly and sadly there are those people who are trying to tell us that AJ, at just 20-0, is already a great fighter – even deserving of being compared with “The Greatest.” Warren spoke on the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast show this morning and the promoter explained his feelings on Joshua.

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What next for Carlos Takam?

What next for Carlos Takam?

The hero of the hour in terms of the heavyweight division, France’s Carlos Takam made one big name for himself in defeat on Saturday night in Cardiff, Wales. The huge betting underdog (Takam was a 40/1 outsider on some boards) put on one helluva gutsy, admirable showing against the younger, bigger, stronger and harder-hitting Anthony Joshua.

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Anthony Joshua proves once again he is the most exciting heavyweight on the planet; but is he the best?

Anthony Joshua proves once again he is the most exciting heavyweight on the planet; but is he the best?

He has fought just twice this year, but how Anthony Joshua entertained us, thrilled us and given us value for money in doing so. There seems to be little doubt AJ, the WBA/IBF heavyweight ruler, is THE most consistently exciting big man on the planet today.

Some fans will point to WBC champ Deontay Wilder, but never has Wilder given us the kind of sustained action Joshua gave us last night in finally (and via premature stoppage) getting rid of an incredibly game Carlos Takam, as well as earlier in the year in his titanic, off the floor win over Wladimir Klitschko.

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Team-Parker liked what they saw in Joshua-Takam battle, more convinced than ever Joseph beats AJ

Team-Parker liked what they saw in Joshua-Takam battle, more convinced than ever Joseph beats AJ

It can often prove to be a tricky assignment facing a late replacement foe after having spent weeks training to prepare for another fighter with totally different physical dimensions coupled with a different fighting style, and WBA/IBF heavyweight ruler Anthony Joshua found this out last night in Cardiff.

Joshua got the job done in the end, winning practically every round before stopping (via terribly premature stoppage) a game Carlos Takam, but the critics have come out in force nonetheless. Expected by almost everyone to have a relatively easy time of things with Takam (who replaced an injured Kubrat Pulev) Joshua instead had to dig deep, take a few shots and find his second wind. As a result, the AJ critics have offered some harsh words.

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