Shortlist for Anthony Joshua

Klitschko is no longer a potential next opponent for Joshua after - ahem- injuring his calf. It looks likely Joshua's next opponent will be one of:

1. David Price
2. Bryant Jennings
3. Eric Molina.

None of those warrant ppv but its inneviteable it will be. Of the three, I like the Price fight the most. Skills wise he would probably be behind Jennings and he doesnt have the durability of Molina. But he has a big punch and offers a threat. If he turns up, its almost cetainly going to be a fun fight between two big hitters. Unfortunately I think there is a decent chance Price will sh1t his pants and freeze on the big stage. I think he lacks confidence after 3 KO defeats where he was a big favourite and for me there are question marks over his grit when the going gets tough. He might end up doing an Audley Harrison.

Jennings was blasted out recently enough by the wicked punching Luis Ortiz (for the me the dark horse of heavyweight boxing right now). But he has solid fundementals managing to take Klitschko 12 rounds in a pretty dull affair. This might offer Joshua the best test of his boxing ability but is probably likely to be the dullest of the three potential fights. Jennings is also probably the least attrative of the 3 options for Matchroom to headline a ppv.

Molina isnt much more than a limited fighter with a decent chin and plenty of heart. I think he offers the least threat to Joshua of the three opponents but you can depend on him giving it a go. Seen recently taking a pretty one sided beating from Wilder before scoring a surprise upset over a shot Adamek to get himself into contention for another big fight. Probably the least attractive option for me as I cant even see a hint of Molina being able to win the fight. Or really offering much more than willing target practice which Joshua has had plenty of already.

I would have to go with Price too.

He's a bigger man and can dig, but he will most likely be stopped early.

He has nothing to lose and one big punch can end it. Just can't see Price landing it.

I'd actually prefer Jennings, who's the more rounded boxer. Yes potentially a more boring fight, but to my mind a more intriguing one, as Joshua hasn't yet faced anyone with that sort of skillset really. Price offers the KO excitement, but reallistically Joshua is too fast for Price, will land first, and then it's goodnight! OK if somehow Price lands first it'll be an interesting test of Joshua's chin, but can't see that happening.

I actually think Matchroom will go the Price route, offers the prospect of two British Olympic champs, etc. so is an easy sell.

Agree that Molina is the least interesting of the options.

I've been saying David price will be Joshua's December opponent since the Klit fight began to stall, not that it was ever going to happen in December.

I think Price is a half decent opponent because we know he can punch. When Whyte caught AJ we know he felt it, OK he recovered well so full credit but I think if Price catches him he smells blood and goes for the kill. The downsides are glaringly obvious though, the fact is as soon as AJ lands clean price is going to sleep. There's no way Price has completely got over his demons from the KO defeats and going in against AJ is going to be tough with that lingering in your mind.

I hope Eddie gets serious with Joshua in 2017. I'm really bored of the stiffs now. I know he's only had 17 fights but he's parading round as a world champion on ppv so give us something worth paying for or put him back on sky until he's ready.

Jennings for me. Really think the Price fight would be a complete cop out and a dreadfully cynical piece of matchmaking.

Based on how he's frozen on past occasions I'd only be half-surprised if Price failed to make it out of the dressing room. He's hopeless in the face of heavy artillery, totally unable to establish the space he needs to work his jab and as we know, once he gets clobbered properly it's lights out.

Jennings might only beat Joshua once in ten, but that's one more than Price could manage in my opinion. 'Puncher's chance' and all that, but it's not a given that he'd be the bigger puncher here in any case, and it matters little when you haven't got the desire to go in there and blast the other fella out in the first round or two, which is the only way Price is ever going to beat any decent puncher again.

Mike Costello from the BBC has just tweeted it is Haye. Claims that is straight from Hearn.

Price has been telling anyone who'll listen that joshua was 'carried out of the ring' after a sparring session about 5 years ago. Such stories were enough to sell the whyte fight... And Eddie loves a domestic.

Rowley wrote:Mike Costello from the BBC has just tweeted it is Haye. Claims that is straight from Hearn.

http://giphy.com/gifs/the-office-no-steve-carell-12XMGIWtrHBl5e

Can't see it TBH. Price would make more sense from Hearn's perspective you'd think, lower risk IMO and an easier sell.

It won't be Haye. We all know Haye would only be taking that fight because he is ducking the mighty Bellew who even Chuck Norris would be nervous about challenging, so he wouldn't risk such ridicule.

Absolutely no chance it's Haye. It doesn't make any sense. Haye is the mandatory for the WBO, hell would freeze over before Hearn passes on the chance for an all British heavyweight unification fight at Wembley stadium. Parkers going to win the WBO belt, Haye will relieve him of that in the Spring and then him, Joshua and Hearn are going to build a house each out of £50 notes after they square off in a unification fight next year.

Apparently the Haye thing is indeed balls, fake account I'm told.

Can't believe anyone wants to see him fight Price? Firstly he's done nothing to deserve any kind of shot (admittedly that counts for nothing these days) and secondly the second AJ lands a jab it's goodnight. The only reason I can see Hearn making is this is because it's the path of least resistance for big fights next year and the deluded fans will buy into some fabricated rivalry. I certainly won't be paying for this tripe.

Would also like to see Jennings as well. Be interesting to see how Joshua copes when for the first time he's isn't given an opponent he can tee off on at will. Can't see them making it but would be the more interesting fight for me.

If Price was some faceless unheard of Eastern European with his record they would not even dream of giving him the match. Everyone would look on boxrec and absolutely slaughter it, he is getting it solely as he carries a bit of name recognition. His record is no better than the guys we have been mullering Haye for fighting. Shockingly bad match if it happens.

Could not agree more Rowley.

Rowley wrote:If Price was some faceless unheard of Eastern European with his record they would not even dream of giving him the match. Everyone would look on boxrec and absolutely slaughter it, he is getting it solely as he carries a bit of name recognition. His record is no better than the guys we have been mullering Haye for fighting. Shockingly bad match if it happens.

Yep, the more you think about it, the more it seems like a certainty.

if price lands that right hand?
Anything can happen with two big hitting heavyweights
knocked him out in sparring- how's that going to play on their minds?
We won't need the judges for this one.
Make or break for price

...Play bingo with that lot

It would be an awful match up but I can't help but feel sorry for Price, losing three times to two proven drugs cheats yet the results still stand, boxing is way behind on these things.

milkyboy wrote:if price lands that right hand?
Anything can happen with two big hitting heavyweights
knocked him out in sparring- how's that going to play on their minds?
We won't need the judges for this one.
Make or break for price

...Play bingo with that lot

Not a bad effort, milky, but are you talking about from the Sky / Mismatchroom angle? If so, you forgot 'There's no love lost between these two!' and the repeated use of the word 'redemption.'

Yes, sky and matchroom will certainly manage to expose the deep, burning hatred that Aj and Price have always had for each other that has otherwise managed to be kept quiet...until they could no longer contain it and just had to settle it in the ring in a PPV extravaganza of course

Just imagine price finds AJ's chin and puts him to sleep though! I'd absolutely love to see the look on Eddie Hearns face after that one!

EX7EY wrote:Just imagine price finds AJ's chin and puts him to sleep though! I'd absolutely love to see the look on Eddie Hearns face after that one!

Would be a turn up for the books, EX7EY. Maybe if Price starts throwing his punch now it might arrive just in time for the opening bell on fight night and catch Joshua by surprise.

EX7EY wrote:Just imagine price finds AJ's chin and puts him to sleep though! I'd absolutely love to see the look on Eddie Hearns face after that one!

The fight should be free (it won't be obviously)... But if price pulls off the big shock, they can Ppv the camera panning to eddie's face. I'd pay for that.

No way Price should be the opponent, he only just came back to winning ways

That's a fight for down the line

Molina isn't much better though, just a test to see if he can KO him faster than Wilder did =/

88Chris05 wrote:

milkyboy wrote:if price lands that right hand?
Anything can happen with two big hitting heavyweights
knocked him out in sparring- how's that going to play on their minds?
We won't need the judges for this one.
Make or break for price

...Play bingo with that lot

Not a bad effort, milky, but are you talking about from the Sky / Mismatchroom angle? If so, you forgot 'There's no love lost between these two!' and the repeated use of the word 'redemption.'

- It's not fabricated, the animosity is genuine between these two
- I don't care who you are, if price lands that right hand, it's goodnight
- Despite the animosity, there's a lot of respect between these two

They should save themselves the bother of a commentary team and just play these little cliche's on a loop. No- one would notice. Infact maybe that's what they do already.

milkyboy wrote:Price has been telling anyone who'll listen that joshua was 'carried out of the ring' after a sparring session about 5 years ago. Such stories were enough to sell the whyte fight... And  Eddie loves a domestic.

So that would have been in 2011, when Anthony Joshua was 21/22, and still an amateur (two years away from turning professional), while David Price would have been 27/28 and an undefeated professional with about 11 wins under his belt and rated as a top notch prospect.

88Chris05 wrote:

EX7EY wrote:Just imagine price finds AJ's chin and puts him to sleep though! I'd absolutely love to see the look on Eddie Hearns face after that one!

Would be a turn up for the books, EX7EY. Maybe if Price starts throwing his punch now it might arrive just in time for the opening bell on fight night and catch Joshua by surprise.

i lol'd at that, haha

milkyboy wrote:

EX7EY wrote:Just imagine price finds AJ's chin and puts him to sleep though! I'd absolutely love to see the look on Eddie Hearns face after that one!

The fight should be free (it won't be obviously)... But if price pulls off the big shock, they can Ppv the camera panning to eddie's face. I'd pay for that.

it definitely won't be free. Hearn has publicly stated that 'AJ is PPV'. He doesn't care who the opponent is, you pay to see AJ, end of. Which is of course, ridiculous. But, it's the era we find ourselves in.

And, like you I would definitely pay to see the look on Eddies face everytime one of his PPV cash cows gets splattered

Nore Staat wrote:

milkyboy wrote:Price has been telling anyone who'll listen that joshua was 'carried out of the ring' after a sparring session about 5 years ago. Such stories were enough to sell the whyte fight... And  Eddie loves a domestic.

So that would have been in 2011, when Anthony Joshua was 21/22, and still an amateur (two years away from turning professional), while David Price would have been 27/28 and an undefeated professional with about 11 wins under his belt and rated as a top notch prospect.

Yup, well done for joining the dots. The whyte fight was sold on an amateur fight when Joshua had had a handful of fights.

EX7EY wrote:

milkyboy wrote:

EX7EY wrote:Just imagine price finds AJ's chin and puts him to sleep though! I'd absolutely love to see the look on Eddie Hearns face after that one!

The fight should be free (it won't be obviously)... But if price pulls off the big shock, they can Ppv the camera panning to eddie's face. I'd pay for that.

it definitely won't be free. Hearn has publicly stated that 'AJ is PPV'. He doesn't care who the opponent is, you pay to see AJ, end of. Which is of course, ridiculous. But, it's the era we find ourselves in.

And, like you I would definitely pay to see the look on Eddies face everytime one of his PPV cash cows gets splattered

Oh I know it won't be free... Merely pointing out where I see the value. Eddie with a punnet of strawberries on his face wins that one hands down!

An absolute joke of a match up if / when it happens. Price will freeze and get knocked out ala Harrison. Mind you, given that we are six weeks away from a fight and no one has been named as the opponent, anyone they name is bound to be a joke.

The thing that pees me off is there is no reason it could not have been Ortiz, before even Hearn started speaking to Wlad. He has signed him, literally the only reasons he didn't is he didn't want to derail the AJ money train or risk Ortiz until he had milked him for a few quid. Both of these reasons are motivated by his own pure self interest. No thought for the fans who would get a genuinely intriguing match that may just justify the £17 we'll be expected to shell out. The worst of it is we just accept it without a whimper. The minute Ortiz signed with Matchroom we as fans removed him from consideration, him signing with the same promoter should have been the reason to add him to our shortlist.

bhb001 wrote:An absolute joke of a match up if / when it happens. Price will freeze and get knocked out ala Harrison. Mind you, given that we are six weeks away from a fight and no one has been named as the opponent, anyone they name is bound to be a joke.

Audley Harrison. There was someone who could self promote his fights but as soon as he was put in the ring you could see the terror in his eyes and down he would go.

I have yet to pay (or see) a Joshua PPV event. Doubt I'm starting on this one.

Agree Rowley. the problem is AJ has well and truely been sold to the masses so other than saddos like ourselves on the boxing boards nobody really cares who Aj's fighting, they jsut want to see him KO another victim. All you have to do is jump on a facebook thread to see that. Everybody pretends to know about boxing but 90% of viewers do not have a clue. Nobody I know talked about the Crolla fight (bare in mind I am from Manchester), actually none of my mates even spoke about Brook Vs Golovkin. Nothin on FB about Gavin vs Eggington even though it was a good watch. But the minute you mention AJ or David Haye, everyones an expert. The way it is at the moment is very unfortunate for genuine fans like ourselves and very fortunate for a promoter like Hearn. And this is why we are left with a constant feeling of frustration!

bhb001 wrote:I have yet to pay (or see) a Joshua PPV event. Doubt I'm starting on this one.

I've seen them all, but I damn sure havn't paid for any

Rowley wrote:The thing that pees me off is there is no reason it could not have been Ortiz, before even Hearn started speaking to Wlad. He has signed him, literally the only reasons he didn't is he didn't want to derail the AJ money train or risk Ortiz until he had milked him for a few quid. Both of these reasons are motivated by his own pure self interest. No thought for the fans who would get a genuinely intriguing match that may just justify the £17 we'll be expected to shell out. The worst of it is we just accept it without a whimper. The minute Ortiz signed with Matchroom we as fans removed him from consideration, him signing with the same promoter should have been the reason to add him to our shortlist.

At what point in the last few years did the terrible realisation dawn? Not so much the realisation that Eddie was infact Satan and not the saviour of boxing... but the slow and painful dawning that strongback was right. It's a horrible feeling isn't it.

I saw a lot of comments about the Brook/GGG fight on facebook and social media hence why it was the UK's biggest PPV fight since 80,000 in Wembley.

milkyboy wrote:

Rowley wrote:The thing that pees me off is there is no reason it could not have been Ortiz, before even Hearn started speaking to Wlad. He has signed him, literally the only reasons he didn't is he didn't want to derail the AJ money train or risk Ortiz until he had milked him for a few quid. Both of these reasons are motivated by his own pure self interest. No thought for the fans who would get a genuinely intriguing match that may just justify the £17 we'll be expected to shell out. The worst of it is we just accept it without a whimper. The minute Ortiz signed with Matchroom we as fans removed him from consideration, him signing with the same promoter should have been the reason to add him to our shortlist.

At what point in the last few years did the terrible realisation dawn? Not so much the realisation that Eddie was infact Satan and not the saviour of boxing... but the slow and painful dawning that strongback was right. It's a horrible feeling isn't it.

I've tried to black it out or dismiss it as the broken clock theory.

EX7EY wrote:Agree Rowley. the problem is AJ has well and truely been sold to the masses so other than saddos like ourselves on the boxing boards nobody really cares who Aj's fighting, they jsut want to see him KO another victim. All you have to do is jump on a facebook thread to see that. Everybody pretends to know about boxing but 90% of viewers do not have a clue. Nobody I know talked about the Crolla fight (bare in mind I am from Manchester), actually none of my mates even spoke about Brook Vs Golovkin. Nothin on FB about Gavin vs Eggington even though it was a good watch. But the minute you mention AJ or David Haye, everyones an expert. The way it is at the moment is very unfortunate for genuine fans like ourselves and very fortunate for a promoter like Hearn. And this is why we are left with a constant feeling of frustration!

It was the same on twitter pal. The minute the date was announced there were 100s of folk posting they were desperate to get tickets. Who the feck is desperate to get to AJ vs TBA? It makes zero sense. As you have alluded to though, manna from heaven for Hearn.

I think Sky (Eddie) should do the decent thing and put it on sky sports.

Big AJ fan, but a fight with Jennings, Price, etc should not be ppv. Especially after the fans were led to believe Wlad was next.

milkyboy wrote:

Rowley wrote:The thing that pees me off is there is no reason it could not have been Ortiz, before even Hearn started speaking to Wlad. He has signed him, literally the only reasons he didn't is he didn't want to derail the AJ money train or risk Ortiz until he had milked him for a few quid. Both of these reasons are motivated by his own pure self interest. No thought for the fans who would get a genuinely intriguing match that may just justify the £17 we'll be expected to shell out. The worst of it is we just accept it without a whimper. The minute Ortiz signed with Matchroom we as fans removed him from consideration, him signing with the same promoter should have been the reason to add him to our shortlist.

At what point in the last few years did the terrible realisation dawn? Not so much the realisation that Eddie was infact Satan and not the saviour of boxing... but the slow and painful dawning that strongback was right. It's a horrible feeling isn't it.

Never going to happen for me. Joshua could fight Gloria Hunniford and Estelle Getty in his next two fights and I'll still not accept that Strongy was right.

Hammersmith harrier wrote:I saw a lot of comments about the Brook/GGG fight on facebook and social media hence why it was the UK's biggest PPV fight since 80,000 in Wembley.

There was lots of interest in the Brook fight I agree. That's not what I was saying, although I can see where I confused people. I meant in MY circle of friends re the Brook Golovkin (which admittedly is a very small circle )

EX7EY wrote:

Hammersmith harrier wrote:I saw a lot of comments about the Brook/GGG fight on facebook and social media hence why it was the UK's biggest PPV fight since 80,000 in Wembley.

There was lots of interest in the Brook fight I agree. That's not what I was saying, although I can see where I confused people. I meant in MY circle of friends re the Brook Golovkin (which admittedly is a very small circle )

If you have enough to form a circle (2 holding hands) that's probably well above average for the misfit loners that frequent this place.

Not me of course I have loads of friends. Prostitutes count, right?

Super/rowley

I share your concern. It's like accepting your whole value set is wrong. The existential angst caused by admitting stringy may have been right, is unthinkable.

I like to think Eddie was the saviour of boxing, and then sometime after strongy left the forum, it all went sour. Maybe it's no coincidence, and the multi millionaire, PhD laden, lothario is pulling eddie's' strings.

milkyboy wrote:

EX7EY wrote:

Hammersmith harrier wrote:I saw a lot of comments about the Brook/GGG fight on facebook and social media hence why it was the UK's biggest PPV fight since 80,000 in Wembley.

There was lots of interest in the Brook fight I agree. That's not what I was saying, although I can see where I confused people. I meant in MY circle of friends re the Brook Golovkin (which admittedly is a very small circle )

If you have enough to form a circle (2 holding hands) that's probably well above average for the misfit loners that frequent this place.

Not me of course I have loads of friends. Prostitutes count, right?

Hookers count for sure. I still include school friends that I haven't seen for 15 years

... And Your school friends were hookers

My Mrs. used to be a hooker.....

Yep, she used to be a man and played rugby.

Used to be a man Chris? Admit it, your mrs is Dylan Hartley

Some sections of the media reporting Molina as a done deal now.

Ortiz & Jennings are the only two I'd like to see aside from Klit or Fury.