Britain has had many sporting heroes this year and IBF World Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua fits that bill. Will he end the year as a title though and if so, what does 2017 hold for him?
To end the year as champion, Joshua must get past Eric Molina who he puts his belt on the line against on December 10 at the Manchester Arena. His challenger has already had one unsuccessful attempt to win the World Heavyweight title, losing to Deontay Wilder for the WBC version last June, after being knocked out in the ninth round.
Since that defeat, Molina has won twice, most recently beating Tomas Adamek in ten rounds. He gave Wilder a tougher fight than most of us expected but has three losses on his record including two first round defeats (one in his pro debut) so will he be able to survive the expected Joshua onslaught?
WBC Champion Deontay Wilder, who had some worrying moments against Molina, believes Joshua could be in for a tough night saying “We all saw Molina fight me, and he put up a hell of a fight because it was for the belt, and he wanted to provide for his family. I think he’s going to do the same.”
Joshua can overcome this test and it might even be another early night. At the time of writing, the boxing betting markets are showing 15/4 on Joshua winning in Round two. Assuming he’s successful, what lies ahead for Joshua in 2017? Negotiations are ongoing for a super fight with Wladimir Klitschko and that looks set to take place in the spring if all goes well next month.
Steep Climb for Joshua
Joshua has seen his career escalate far quicker than anyone expected. That title chance against Charles Martin just couldn’t be turned down and with the IBF belt around his waist and with Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder both out of action at present, Joshua is at the top of the heavyweight tree.
Obviously Wladimir Klitschko isn’t going to be an easy opponent If the two do face off in the new year but surely time is running out for Klitschko. He looked dreadful when losing his titles to Tyson Fury and hasn’t fought since. The youth of Joshua must be tipped to get the better of his illustrious opponent, particularly if the fight takes place on home territory with Wembley Stadium the most likely venue.
Battle of Britain?
If Joshua gets through that then there are plenty more money-spinning opponents on the horizon for him with several of them being from the UK. A returning Tyson Fury, David Haye, the winner of the Dillian Whyte v Dereck Chisora bout on December 10 or David Price could all be big deals. Then there’s the winner of the Joseph Parker and Andy Ruiz Jr fight for the WBO title. Of course, Joshua is bound to head to the States sometime in the future. Perhaps not in 2017 but in time a showdown with Deontay Wilder just has to happen.
The future looks bright for Joshua and thankfully the heavyweight division is coming back to life. Roll on 2017 that’s what we say.
I think Joshua is the future of the sport, not just the heavyweight division. He has everything you need to be a star. Can’t wait to see his fame grow.