While IBF heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua had an easy time of it in despatching challenger Eric Molina last night, fight fans are finding it harder and harder to shell out good money to see the 18-0(18) star bowl over opponents, one after the other, in easy, even scripted-looking “fights.”
Everyone agrees that AJ is badly in need of a test, but will this test come in his next fight – officially announced in the ring in Manchester last night, for April 29 against former king Wladimir Klitschko – or will the planned Wembley event prove to be yet another disappointment? Previous Joshua foes such as Kevin Johnson, Dillian Whyte, Charles Martin and Molina promised so much going in but, Whyte aside, they all flopped on fight night.
Klitschko is of course a far more formidable fighting machine than those men – or at least the 40-year-old (41 in March) was a formidable heavyweight fighting machine. But by the time the fight with Joshua rolls around Klitschko will not have registered a win in over two years and he will have been out of action for 17 long months. Is it possible Klitschko gets blasted out, just like all the rest? Would fight fans be able to stand another huge disappointment?
Just how good is Joshua? We still don’t know as, through no fault of his own, he has had such an easy time of things since turning pro (that rumble with Whyte aside, this battle taking place a year ago). It could prove very expensive for fight fans to find out just how good Joshua is. Next year, fans will be expected to shell out for the Joshua-Klitschko fight (this after paying to see the March pay-per-view match between David Haye and Tony Bellew; this one being in danger of being yet another quick blow-out) and every single Joshua fight after that assuming he gets the win in April.
Obviously a win over Klitschko would look great on Joshua’s record, but if the win comes in apparently easy fashion once again, fans will feel cheated. Again, it’s not Joshua’s fault, he is simply beating every man put in front of him, but we need to see him in a real fight. Hopefully this comes on April 29th. But don’t bank on it.