Who should be Antony Joshua's next opponent?

Afternoon all.

There has been a lot of talk over who Joshua should fight next so I thought I would put it to a poll.

Cheers gents.

For me, at the 12 fight mark, either Shannon Briggs or Oliver Mcall. Those two should test his stamina.

I'm in no rush to watch his fights until he gets tested. I'd maybe put him in with kevin johnson after sprott - a low threat survivalist, then maybe Briggs or Mcall soon after to test his chin.

Oliver McCall? Would that only be if Gary Mason couldn't be brought back to life?

Has a good chin and a decent whallop.

Joshua will pummel him but he'll get some rounds under his belt; he may even take a crack or two along the way.

Where is the wlad option?

Kingpin, for me. As 3fingers puts it so well, low threat survivalist.

Never been stopped so potential to make a statement also.

Love to see him spark that fraud Fury, dont think we would hear the bell for the 3rd round before the big manc lump would be sleeping soundly on the canvas.

That list is dire. Heavyweight division is p**h!

Should fight Price. After re watching price and Thompson 2 and see him totally spent after 3 rounds was pitiful.

I want to see him knock Tyson Fury's head off.

Its not likely to happen though.

Hughie Fury?

Tyson Fury. Battle of The Bubble. Who's getting burst.

Bloody hell forgot about hughie. Seems to have gone off the radar a little. Bet ive made this poll pointless now as im guessing a few would have gone for him otherwise!

Kevin Johnson, Malik Scott, David Price, Lucas Browne, Loser of Chisora/Fury, Adamek and finally winner of Chisora/ Fury would be a decent resume' for the next 12-18 months. I just don't see Haye on his radar at all as the pay check would not be big enough for David against the big risk involved. But the likes of Arreola, Mike Perez, Bryant Jennings would be the next level before the likes of Stiverne and Wilder before taking on the eastern block and battle for titles.

Also think entertaining the likes of McCall, Briggs, Tarver and even Thompson (I don't think they he will be getting any big fights any time soon in the UK) is of little value now as no of them are performing at such a level to test Joshua (apart from Thompson but I doubt that will be risked when it would still be a victory of value).

Im surprised no one has mentioned Audley Harrison. I think it would be a great fight for Joshua at this stage of his career and it would be two british olympic gold medal heavyweights. Everyone loves seeing Audley get smashed which would happen. I would also love to see Joshua destroy Tyson Fury who is the biggest joke in boxing and probably the luckiest man alive that Haye got injured before he had a chance to knock him spark out!

It may be a tad early but I think Thompson would be the best bet to actually test and push Joshua into the later rounds. Dont think for a minute Eddie would risk it yet though but I think it would be a good call.

The price fight would be explosive but quick. Price cant fight for more than 5 rounds himself so id expect a close two/three rounds before Joshua takes over.

Reborn-DeeMcK-Reborn wrote:Hughie Fury?

Yeh, whatever happened to him..??

Hughie came down with a pretty serious virus earlier this year, Toppy. According to Peter Fury he ended up losing about two stone in weight because of it and it's naturally left him pretty sapped of strength for training, hence his long absence from the ring after fighting every few weeks beforehand. I think he's back in training now.

Good to hear he's getting back on track, was certainly promising and could've provided some useful/interesting domestic oppo for AJ. Though, to be honest, I don't think he could've lasted just judging by his record against similar opponents.

He doesn't have the age/experience to have the ring craft to befuddle AJ and, judging by his record against similar opponents, doesn't have the power to keep him off also. Unless he can make the later rounds I can't see him having a chance of winning.

Price looking like the favorite. Can't see Price's team throwing him into this though. Too big a risk for them. One more defeat for David and it's basically career over.

Lost two stone? Reckon Tyson could do with that virus.

Classic Tyson Fury banter on Twitter last night, Price even gave him some back.

At least it's some kind of entertainment, even if a very low form......

Kevin Johnson would provide the rounds and seems pretty happy just to take his paycheck these days. But that could be the problem. Would Eddie be willing to pay out for Johnson at this stage? Kingpin would be able to teach AJ a few veteran tricks though. So all in all a decent opponent right now.

Kingpin is all wrong at this stage of AJ's career. The reason being that AJ is being sold as a wrecking machine and I don't believe he has the ring smarts to do anything about Johnson's incredible negativity in fights. Don't think Joshua will be able to draw him out of his shell and find any openings and will be left to try and bludgeon his man to the canvas but as we've seen, Johnson knows how to do 12 rounds.

Back when David Haye was making a name for himself as a KO artist, he fought a guy called Abdoul (or something) and it was one of the most tedious 12 rounds I've endured with people walking out of the arena in disgust. Haye hardly threw anything and in his post fight interview said that he has taken it easy as he wanted to see if he could do the 12 rounds (it's fairly easy to do 12 rounds only throwing the occasional right hand ) but it was the wrong type of fight at that stage of Haye's career given all that had gone before. He quickly reverted to smashing guys all over the shop!

As for AJ, the time will come when his opposition won't be bowled over so easily but now is not the time to try and see how he fares against the canny operators.

DAVE667 wrote:Kingpin is all wrong at this stage of AJ's career. The reason being that AJ is being sold as a wrecking machine and I don't believe he has the ring smarts to do anything about Johnson's incredible negativity in fights. Don't think Joshua will be able to draw him out of his shell and find any openings and will be left to try and bludgeon his man to the canvas but as we've seen, Johnson knows how to do 12 rounds.

That's the exact reason AJ needs him, IMO. I think people are more sceptical of the 'wrecking ball' sales pitch having watched Price's career fall about somewhat.

Disagree. If AJ can't blast him out he'll just end up looking clueless for 12 rounds and people will get bored and turn on him

Think its a bit of a no lose situation for AJ is he goes in against Johnson (unless of course he actually loses).

If he blasts him out then he has done what nobody else could and enhances the reputation. If he can't and is forced to go the distance he learns more than he has in his last 5 fights combined then they just throw him in with a few less durable opponents and 3 KO's later casual fans have forgotten about his struggles with Johnson.

Interesting thoughts DAVE. SO the question is, if he isn't ready now for a canny fighter who can take him rounds, when will he be? How much longer should he be blasting guys out in 2/3 rounds for? Aside from the chin check, this is the other main question that needs to be answered about him isn't it? Looking clueless or not, he needs to go rounds. I don't think that he'll lose the publics imagination if, God forbid, someone takes him to the scorecards. I happen to think Johnson is a perfect fight for him

Sprott's supposedly durable (although he's lost a few early in recent times) but Johnson is an out and out survivalist with little or no ambition. That fight doesn't showcase Joshua's ability to a wider audience as Johnson will do everything to go the distance and Eddie to touting Joshua as the next HW Hope. Pointless having that USP then having him look inept for 30 minutes as he fails to find an opening or draw Johnson out of his shell.

We know AJ has a punch, but we need to know he has the ability to beat guys who have a decent chin (test AJ's stamina and/or punch variety). We need to know he has some form of defence because last time out he was walking back in a straight line which is HW suicide and then we need to know he has the ability to mix with the guys who know every trick in the book

Too early for Johnson in terms of his career as a HW and also from a promoter's POV

How about TT then? Or too early also??

I think Kingpin Johnson would be a good test personally, Dave. Shouldn't Joshua and Hearn be big and ugly enough by now to shrug off a few fools in the crowd who might turn in to boo boys if Joshua can't just blow Johnson away inside two rounds? Don't really see how it could be a speed bump in Joshua's career, really. No serious fan with any kind of appreciation for how a career is built is going to get the hump about Joshua being in a more sedate kind of fight.

Besides, I don't think it's a complete given that it goes the full distance anyhow. Chisora put Johnson over despite telegraphing and using that overhand right all night. I'm sure Johnson can give Joshua some rounds, but I don't think it's out of the question that Joshua could have a good work out and potentially put Johnson away late. That would be a good statement while at the same time not being enough for everyone to get giddy and start demanding that Joshua gets thrown in with Wladimir or Stiverne within the next six months.

Sooner or later he's going to have to fight cagey, negative guys. Might as well cut his teeth against those kind of guys now, considering how little a threat Johnson carries offensively.

Thompson is a decent barometer of where Joshua is re David Price. Thompson is canny but not a guy who is just coming to survive however, I still see enough flaws in Joshua to be wary of putting him in with a guy as seasoned as Thompson. Price put him over and he still got up to win. Not sure AJ would know what to do with a guy who doesn't roll over after the first big shot lands and Eddie will be wary of alienating the paying public (who may or may not know what they're talking about but may still have influence over those wanting to watch AJ in the future) Don't think Johnson is a risk to AJ's precious "0" but a stale performance might harm his sales.

I'd have Joshua in with the like of Sexton, McDermott, etc. British level fighters who may still harbor some ambition (although I've heard precious little of either recently...maybe they're waiting for Eddie to call)

Thompson is in one last payday territory.....

Might as well fight for the title now (The one Wlad doesn't have!!)............He's gold so they won't risk a loss........HBO will love him..

Going to be treading water for a while yet though me thinks..

He'll have to learn after he's won the title..

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Thompson is in one last payday territory.....

Might as well fight for the title now (The one Wlad doesn't have!!)............He's gold so they won't risk a loss........HBO will love him..

Going to be treading water for a while yet though me thinks..

He'll have to learn after he's won the title..

Certainly seems that way...and it's not something I'm keen on. Much as I dislike Froch, it's easy to look at his career as being done the right way (piddle poor promoter aside) Worked his way up the ranks steadily. Made a bit of a git of himself calling out Calzaghe, but when he got the belt he'd already established himself as worthy of fighting at that level and improved as he went on. Got lucky on occasion, found his real level with Ward and quickly realized where his place was.

The paucity of decent HW may give us an exaggerated view of how good AJ is but unless he suffers a shock loss a la Wlad/Sanders, he's not going to get the chance to work on his flaws outside the spotlight. He's headlining now and I fear it will be impossible to shove him back down the pecking order become a more polished performer

I agree........I think Frank Bruno would clean up the HW division now including Wlad...........Frank had a top jab and a brutal right and I'd love to see how Wlad with his dodgy chin deals with it..........Wlad doesn't move his head and comes in on straight lines....

It's why Sanders played with him......

Joshua couldn't have picked his spot better..

I said a while back that Sanders was the last guy Wlad fought who actually seemed to have any ambition. Caught the Wlad/Leapai fight on EuroSport last night and Leapai's lack of head movement made Wlad look like a young Mike Tyson.

He fights Pulev on 15th of November and after that, realistically, the door is wide open for a newcomer to put himself in the frame for a shot. Hopefully it's someone who genuinely fancies the job and isn't just giving us a few sexy soundbites.

Assuming Wlad beats Pulev, if he continues to clean out the division, including all the young 'hopes' coming through, e.g. Wilder, AJ, even Berny, will he start to rank closer to people's Top10s at HW all time??

No cos they're still all sh!te

Big Daddy Brown or David Price. Not too fussed playing the promoter and saying he should fight x,y,z because then "the casuals" will lap it up. Lets see him in a decent , well matched fight.

DAVE667 wrote:I said a while back that Sanders was the last guy Wlad fought who actually seemed to have any ambition. Caught the Wlad/Leapai fight on EuroSport last night and Leapai's lack of head movement made Wlad look like a young Mike Tyson.

He fights Pulev on 15th of November and after that, realistically, the door is wide open for a newcomer to put himself in the frame for a shot. Hopefully it's someone who genuinely fancies the job and isn't just giving us a few sexy soundbites.

Sanders had no real ambition, he said in the interview before the fight he was just there for th epayday to Ian Darke.

AlexHuckerby wrote:

DAVE667 wrote:I said a while back that Sanders was the last guy Wlad fought who actually seemed to have any ambition. Caught the Wlad/Leapai fight on EuroSport last night and Leapai's lack of head movement made Wlad look like a young Mike Tyson.

He fights Pulev on 15th of November and after that, realistically, the door is wide open for a newcomer to put himself in the frame for a shot. Hopefully it's someone who genuinely fancies the job and isn't just giving us a few sexy soundbites.

Sanders had no real ambition, he said in the interview before the fight he was just there for th epayday to Ian Darke.

Maybe, maybe not (although he certainly fought like that vs Vitali) but when he fought Wlad, he went for it and wasn't just there to make up the numbers. No-one else has fought Wlad with the same intensity and that's what it will take to beat him

Good job Sanders didn't try then..

Sanders fought the same way against Wlad and Vitali. The differance was Vitali could take his shots and Wlad folded like wet tissue paper. He caught Vitali with the same shot that he floored Klitschko the younger with.

As I remember all Sanders did was through Southpaw one-twos and Klitty couldn't deal with it...

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Good job Sanders didn't try then..

I KNOW, IMAGINE IF HE'D MADE AN EFFORT!!!!!