Former British Light heavyweight boxing champion, Peter Oboh, has said that WBA, IBF and WBO boxing champion, Anthony Joshua’s decline to fight Deontay Wilder, is responsible for him not being recognised as the best World heavyweight boxing champion.
According to the former Commonwealth Light heavyweight boxing champion, “Joshua declined to fight Wilder claiming the $50m prize money was too small.”
“Rather than fight Wilder who was feared and highly rated, he instead fought Alexander Povetkin, dispatching the Russian with a clinical performance.
“He was also to fight Fury, but protracted negotiations between the two British heavyweights stalled it since Fury announced his comeback after a 32-month absence.
“Fury earned a stunning draw with WBC champion Deontay Wilder and went ahead to beat the American.
Joshua fought and regained the WBA, IBF and WBO belts with a masterful points win over Andy Ruiz Jr in their December rematch, while Fury is the newly crowned WBC champion following a stunning stoppage victory over Deontay Wilder in their return fight.
“Tyson Fury’s incredible destruction of the feared and ferocious Deontay Wilder proves to most that ‘The Gypsy King’ is indeed now the real king of the heavyweights.
Joshua has beaten superb opposition in style in front of huge crowds; yet only when he has fought and defeated Fury, can Joshua be seen as the real number one.
“In terms of boxing – it has to be ‘king’ Fury; in terms of casual sporting appeal it must still be Joshua.