Who will Anthony Joshua fight in the second fight of his latest comeback? AJ, who looked, shall we say, so-so at best in pounding out a clear but far from satisfying win over a stubborn and at times frustrated Jermain Franklin on Saturday night, has certainly had what could be referred to as mixed reviews since.
Joshua, according to some, looked solid. While others wrote how AJ looked far too tentative, gun shy even, and that the old Joshua, who laid out all in front of him, will never be seen again. One of Joshua’s harshest critics has been, and is still, Dillian Whyte. Whyte, 29-3(19) was nothing short of scathing in his review of Joshua W12 Franklin (Franklin of course also dropping a 12 round decision to Whyte last year).
Whyte, who craves a return go at Joshua, who knocked him out in the 7th round of a firefight back in 2015, had this to say after Joshua’s points win:
“Joshua has lost all his aggression and killer instincts,” Whyte told BBC Radio 5. “If he doesn’t want to do it any more, I think he should stop. I don’t think he looked particularly good (against Franklin). He seems a bit apprehensive, the right hand is still there and the boxing skills are still there, but the aggression is not there. The difference is in the last two rounds I went after Franklin, he didn’t. I’ll always have a go, win, lose, or draw, I’ll have a go.”
That Whyte will do, even though he himself, at age 35, is not the fighter he once was. But, if a Tyson Fury-Joshua fight cannot be made – and yes, we are at that stage again, with talk of the fight being put forth – then it could be Joshua-Whyte II later this year. And as past his own best as Whyte might be at this point, this fight, this rematch, is no easy mark for AJ. Whyte will always have the aggression, and if AJ has indeed lost his, along with other things (mental confidence, ability to relax in the ring, ability to let his big shots go when he wants to let them go), it could be that a rampaging, go-for-it-at-all-costs Whyte bags the win in a rematch.
How would Joshua, 25-3(22) react if a guy jumped right on him like a bat coming out of hell? Whyte may well give us the answer. When it comes to Joshua and Whyte circa-2023, who takes a puncher better? When it comes to Joshua and Whyte right now, who has more hunger and sheer desire to win? When it comes to these two big men today, who has the greater nerve?
Joshua-Whyte II, the fight that could come next for AJ if no Super Fight with Fury can be made. And to repeat, this fight is absolutely no guaranteed repeat win for Joshua. Maybe it never was.