Bizarre post-fight belt throwing and microphone commentary aside, Anthony Joshua gave fans more of what has plagued him both in his second consecutive loss to Olesksandr Usyk (20-0) on Saturday and at points in his career.
A fragile chin, poor stamina and dissipating boxing skills in the late rounds.
This was evident at one point in the 10th when Usyk was landing combos and Joshua was either flailing or simply eating punches.
Coming into the fight, Joshua possessed his usual chiseled frame, good looks and a big smile.
But by the 10th round, Joshua was noticeably winded. Long gone was his smile, replaced by uncertainty and floundering arms.
Unfortunately for Anthony Joshua and his fans, it’s part of the package.
Joshua’s power and presence have never been questioned. particularly in the early part of his career.
He ascended quickly up the ranks and was 18-0 with 18 KOs to start his career. He flashed a big smile and big power, vanquishing opponents early in the fight while packing arenas.
Then came the biggest fight of his career to that point- a bout with then-WBA Super World Heavyweight champion, Wladimir Klitschko in the massive 90,000-seat Wembley Stadium in London.
Showtime jumped at the chance to show American boxing fans what the hype from the U.K. was all about.
It was a thrilling fight, with the two champions landing haymaker after haymaker.
After Joshua knocked Klitschko down in the 5th round, Klitschko retaliated by knocking Joshua down in the 6th. As the fight progressed, both men were exhausted yet refused to quit.
It remained close until the 11th round when Joshua knocked Klitschko down twice, the second being the decisive and winning blow.
Fans and Showtime celebrated as AJ had arrived on the global stage. He survived, proved himself and emerged victorious in the biggest fight of his young career.
But astute boxing fans saw a far from perfect champion in the chiseled, 27-year-old fighter.
While no champ is perfect, those who paid attention recognized the aforementioned glaring weaknesses that still haunt him five years later.
Weaknesses that his current promoter, Eddie Hearn, fights hard to camouflage by dancing around but ultimately skirting, fights with big-power opponents like Deontay Wilder and Luiz Ortiz.
Now, by no means am I calling Anthony Joshua a slouch, because he’s not.
He’s fought some of the same opponents as both Wilder and Tyson Fury and emerged victorious as well.
But his chin and stamina continue to hamper him, the latter markedly so once a fight enters the championship rounds.
The second fight with Andy Ruiz is an exception, the first a manifestation.
Ruiz bewildered AJ in the early rounds of the latter. Despite knocking his opponent down in the 3rd round, Joshua’s chin ultimately failed him in the 7th.
Granted, he won their rematch by unanimous decision, but his failure to evade his nagging weaknesses has cost him as evidenced in back-to-back losses to Usyk.
With that in mind, do you think that Hearn would dare put Joshua in the ring with an “I’m retired….psych!” Tyson Fury or sledgehammer punching fighters like Wilder or Ortiz?
Shelly Finkel, Wilder’s manager, got his answer in June 2021.
Hearn wanted $50 million for Joshua and $15 million for Wilder in a fight between the two.
Finkel agreed but, according to him, Hearn balked.
“They said give us $50 million and we’ll take it the next day,” said Finkel. “He didn’t take it. They made us an offer, they want us to fight in the U.K., they want a rematch clause, we said OK to all of it. It will be very hard for him to face the public and not take the fight.”
Obviously, that fight never materialized and as of today, the answer remains the same- hell no.
A fourth loss would cast an almost overwhelming shadow of doubt on Joshua’s championship abilities. That’s a stain Hearn might be unable to mask.
Yet Joshua (24-3) remains a huge draw with a massive contract and an undeniable sponsorship allure.
He has a massive fan base and attracts big crowds, yet he can’t maintain a firm grasp on championship belts.
And that’s a major blemish on an otherwise successful career.
So we’re back to the Area 51 of Anthony Joshua’s career and legacy.
Is his legacy a successful championship reality in the realm of heavyweights or is it just rumored to be?
Until he fights Fury, Wilder or Ortiz, we might never know.
