Lennox Lewis Has His Doubts
Promoter Eddie Hearn suggests that the current heavyweight division has temporarily stopped, that everyone concerned is waiting to see what happens tonight between Dillian Whyte and Dereck Chisora in their grudge rematch before any big plans are fully made for future heavyweight fights. Certainly, Anthony Joshua has a vested interest in the outcome of tonight’s fight, as he may well fight the winner.
If, for example, Whyte wins tonight and he wins big and impressively, that Joshua-Whyte rematch would likely prove a decent sell to the fans. However, if Whyte and Chisora labour to another close and tough (and also thrilling) decision, maybe Hearn will be forced to look elsewhere for the WBA/IBF/WBO ruler’s next challenger. It could of course be Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury next for AJ, but not too many fans are willing to hold their breath on that.
So just who will Joshua fight next, in April? Will the fight take place at Wembley, or might Joshua have his US debut in the first quarter of 2019? One man who feels Joshua will stay where he is and continue to fight where he is “protected” for the time being, is heavyweight great Lennox Lewis. Lewis spoke with Compubox TV and what he had to say has been making the rounds on the net. All-time great Lewis said that in his opinion, Joshua “doesn’t want any of those guys,” meaning Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury.
“He doesn’t want any of those guys. When he saw that fight (between Wilder and Fury) he was like, ‘Wow, these guys can box.’,” Lewis said. “I think they (Wilder and Fury) should have a rematch, Joshua can wait. I don’t think he’ll come over here [to the US] right now. I think he’s too happy in England being protected, and boxing in front of the British crowd.”
So, is Lewis right – is AJ content boxing at home? Should he be? If Joshua does prove Lewis wrong and fights in the US next year, it could be against unbeaten, and very vocal, contender Jarrell Miller, Hearn says. Again, it may depend a great deal on what happens in tonight’s Whyte-Chisora fight, but Miller is very much in the frame for a shot at Joshua. Is it time AJ broadened his horizons and fought a big fight in America?
Lewis of course fought plenty of his biggest and best fights on American soil. But that was back when America had all the top heavyweights (aside from Lennox) and the big super-fights and the big super-fight money was to be had in the US. Now, with his star power seeing to it that he can pull in enormous money in the UK, fighting in front of almost 100,000 paying fans, Joshua perhaps has no need to fight in America.
But if Joshua does stay put, will that big one with Wilder ever happen? What if Wilder opts to stay put himself? If Wilder and Fury do have a rematch in the spring of next year, Joshua could be left out in the cold, for a while at least.