Opinion The fall of Anthony Joshua from Grace in the heavyweight division became a heated topic among boxing fans, and the unified master was already opening by YouTubers and retired fighters who have never competed in heavyweight.

Two -time owner of the world title, once perceived as the most risky man in sport, has suffered four harmful failures in recent years. The 35-year-old went to Andy Ruiz Jr., lost twice by his decision to Oleksandr Usyk, and recently was tired of Daniel Dubois.

The race caused the claim that Joshua is now a pliable target of opportunist pretenders.

Why public perception has changed

The medium weight worker Denzel Bentley caused a conversation after a request in social media: “Why are everyone Anthony Joshua?”

Fans quickly answered, in one writing: “AJ put up in this situation. Losing to Ruiz ruined his reputation.

“This is not because Ruiz is a bad boxer, but because he has Butterbean 2.0. I doubt that he will ever recover after this embarrassment, unless he defeated Fury and Usyk.”

Others claimed that the match of promoter Eddie Hearna played a role, and one user insisted: “Because Eddie created it. Fight the top ten, aj, I dare twice.

“Joshua is still mashed of beating dubois.”

Another made him much more lightweight.

“They think it’s basic. I hope that AJ gives them what they want.”

Bentley defended a man from Watford, indicating his CV: “AJ probably fought with the 10 best opponents in the division.”

The reality of the “biggest fight”

But the reality is obvious that the perception of society has changed. This is the world boxing box boxing Broker for years, stating that Joshua did not have the goods he sold.

The way Hearn would praise the Olympic gold medalist in 2012, because the next coming of Muhammad Ali did not sit with many. However, it is WBN that consistently puts on candid reports on Joshua, not smoke for a valuation.

What once was the most transferable fight in boxing, Joshua vs. Tyson Fury, which Hearn still calls “the biggest fight in boxing” is now perceived by some as a chance for “Gypsy King” to win an basic win.

The fact is that Fury vs Joshua is the biggest fight in Great Britain, but around the world there is no interest in how two commercial blows.

They have such an opportunity if they soon hit, because Great Britain still has an appetite, as proven in Eubank Jr. vs Benn.

Opportunistic dangers

But when next to YouTuber, which he turned around, Jake Paul and Hall of Fame Super-Middleight, Andre Ward, threaten to destroy what is left of the credibility of Joshui, completely removing the fight from the shelf, as Fury did, it makes sense.

Paul and Ward, who did not see the heavyweight division in their career, look at it as a meal ticket and see no dangers that arose against Francis Ngannou.

Whether Joshua can reverse the narrative may depend on how quickly he returns to the elite competition and whether he can finally overthrow the fury before calling for retirement.

Hearn believes that his ex -student student can retire in 2026, but if he decides to face Paul or Ward, he may also retire.

The views expressed in this article are Phil Jay’s opinions.

About the author

Phil Jay is an experienced boxing journalist with over 15 years of experience covering the global fight scene. How The editor -in -chief of World Boxing News since 2010Jay has An interview with dozens of world champions was conducted AND Ring reported On the largest boxing nights. [View all articles by Phil Jay] And find out more about his work in combat sports journalism.

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