It’s easy to kick a fella when he’s down. Since he lost last weekend former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua appears to be on the end of a lot of know it all’s this week.
Isn’t it funny. The celebrity garbage of some aspects of how professional athletes operate within their careers.
In its predictability, that is. Always the same boring garbage. Build a guy up to knock him down. Same old predictable crap in some quarters. No time for it.
Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua now finds himself part of this toxic, declining, almost Hollywood, celebrity, fame culture.
Less and less of it works in popular culture anymore for the masses though. They see through a lot of it now. Quicker than expected, too.
For better or for worse, boxing has always been in the entertainment business.
Basketball player Shaquille O’Neal spoke well on it lately. In that celebrity is just a load of garbage as a concept. Basically.
Since Anthony Joshua lost his title this past weekend he’s been written off completely.
But when you look at the big picture of what he achieved, very few have done what he did.
He won the Olympic Gold medal in approximately only 45 amateur fights. Then went straight in to the unforgiving world of professional boxing at the highest level, essentially.
Fought some of the best opponents he possibly could and became a world champion in a very short time.
Ultimately he was beaten by the better man in Usyk, the better boxer on the night.
But to say he is finished now seems very premature.
Boxing no longer operates in a sphere where the undefeated ‘0’ is as important. About time. Joshua helped change this as well. Everyone takes a loss at some point. But its only the special few who comeback stronger than ever.
Joshua can. He must be very down at the moment but it is important to remember the big picture. God has a plan.
At the end of the day many will be in his ear. Telling him this and that.
He will know himself he has to make adjustments. Like all champions do in boxing or in anything in life.
Full credit to Usyk though. One of the best boxers of this era and a special talent from the Ukraine that now finally, in the years to come, will get the credit he deserves.
Not that he gives a damn though. About praise, respect, love or credit from strangers. Rightly so. A very smart guy. Boxing is lucky to have a new heavyweight champion as ingenious as Usyk. Boxing is his job at the end of the day, what he loves to do and he did it well last weekend. Simple.
The thing is though. Usyk actually has much more to show than that. Much more potential. He’ll be even better next time at heavyweight. And stronger again after that. Think about that.
He’s only just getting started.
After the fight he said he doesn’t care what people think of his achievements as he knows God ‘has his own plans’. A wise, modest mentality that will serve him well. He’s going to be hard to beat. He will deadly at heavyweight as time goes on.
Same goes for Joshua though.
At soon to be 32 years of age, a very young man in heavyweight terms. Loads of time.
Of course he can comeback.
Boxing is alive and well and the heavyweight division in particular.
Some great fights to be made.
Roll on Fury vs Wilder 3 next month.
For anyone who didn’t see the fight last weekend check out the Usyk vs Joshua highlights here:
