Boxing Update: Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua

We all wanted to see Deontay Wilder v. Anthony Joshua, but that’s not what we got.

What we got was Anthony Joshua ducking Wilder for a long time and then getting knocked on his butt four times by Andy Ruiz. Online sports betting sites had AJ as an insane -3500 favorite, so anyone who had the dog in that fight cashed in big.

What’s Next for Joshua?

Well, it definitely isn’t Deontay Wilder. If Deontay wins against Breazeale and keeps winning, does Wilder even want that fight anymore?

Anthony Joshua has already triggered the rematch clause in his contract, so we are likely to see AJ focus solely on Ruiz and getting his title back. Before he even thinks about ducking Wilder in the future.

It’s already looking like Andy Ruiz will come in as the underdog again in the second fight. What we’ll probably see is the smart betters and boxing pundits throw their money on Joshua to adapt and win. While the bulk of the casual boxing fans that saw Ruiz put down Joshua 4 times expect him to do it again and pour the money on in volume. The Early odds at BetOnline show Ruiz as a +275 underdog in the second meeting. This is still a pretty big number, but a far cry from the +1400 to +2000 depending on the sportsbook you used.

Anthony Joshua is a natural talent, and it is unlikely that he’ll lose to Ruiz again. But even if he gets a decisive win in their second fight, where does that leave us with Wilder?

The Breazeale Bout

Meanwhile, Deontay Wilder was a -900 favorite over Dominick Breazeale. And after Breazeale stated that Wilder would have to consider retirement after the fight … he got knocked out like a like Glass Joe in Mike Tyson’s Punchout in the first round. Not even a contest.

Breazeale looked like a walking punching bag leading up to that knockout. He was was just kind of walking forward into stiff head-shots and body shots. Then that separation happened and you could hear that punch like a sledgehammer hitting a melon. Might as well change his nickname to Gallagher.

What’s Next for Wilder?

Wilder just revealed his next two opponents. He just signed a deal that will put him on a course for a rematch with Tyson Fury after he takes on Luis Ortiz. Wilder has already stated that he isn’t looking past Ortiz but looking through him.

Ortiz and Wilder have traded blows before. If you don’t remember, the Cuban lasted 9 rounds with Deontay before getting TKOed in the 10th. So, it would be unwise for the Bronze Bomber to underestimate Ortiz. That said, this fight could prove quite interesting. It could be a situation of who learned more. If Luis Ortiz is able to adapt and stick to a game-plan based on what he learned from his 10th round loss last time around, he might be able to take the fight further. Then again, Wilder just might get a bead on Ortiz quicker this time around, causing the fight to be shorter.

Tyson Fury

We all want to see a definitive victor between Fury and Wilder. The opinions on the draw are a mixed bag of nuts. Some say the ref counted a hair to slow. Other say, that Fury clearly dominated round for round leading up to the late knockdown and should have won the decision.

Tyson Fury recently congratulated Wilder stating, that anyone (save himself) that stands in front ‘the most fearsome, most destructive puncher in the heavyweight division’ will get similar treatment. He called out Anthony Joshua saying that the same thing that happened to Breazeale will happen to him, along with Dillian Whyte.

In a lot of ways, Tyson Fury is right. If Joshua got sat down by Ruiz, Wilder will put his lights out. The only one who stands a chance against the Bronze Bomber, in this moment, is Fury. He is the only fighter slippery enough to avoid that devastating power for 12 rounds. And even he got caught late in the 12th.

Wilder said that he’d still fight Joshua, even if the value is diminished, but who cares now. Joshua straight up quit in the Ruiz fight. Fury and Wilder is the next big fight. If and when Joshua decides to take Wilder up on his offer, he’ll just end up victimized like so many of Deontay’s foes.