USA vs UK: It’s Time For Wilder/Joshua Now
By: Bo Bland
In boxing the fights that have always captured the imagination and monopolized the media are GREAT RIVALRY FIGHTS. It’s like a pot of Louisiana Gumbo, then when you add TITLES; that’s the ingredient that gives the Gumbo that extra KICK. It the kind of fights that even if you don’t like boxing people wanna watch it’s the event of all events, it’s the “Superbowl” of boxing.
Rivalry fights brings out the best & worst in fans and because so much is on the line it’s more than a fight. The drama, the uncertainty, the ramification of the spoils of victory or the agony of defeat, people of all ages get caught & sucked into these type of fights. It’s PRIDE, BRAGGING RIGHTS & realizing until your countryman or fighters get revenge that lasts for the next 3 or 6 months. The memes, posts & videos will be a constant remember of your place in the L column.
The reason why these kinds of fights are so effective is because you have fighters who are total opposites. Fights where the fighters are always being linked to each other. Puerto Rico vs Mexico is an example of 1 of the greatest rivals in all of boxing it’s country vs country PRIDE. Then there are in state pride fights Brooklyn vs Bronx and Philadelphia vs ANYONE .
However, we all know in the history of boxing there has always been 1 division that history has proven to be head & shoulders above the rest. The heavyweight division and its champion has always had that rockstar attraction. Which now brings us to Deontay Wilder & Anthony Joshua, USA vs UK, the last time we had a mega fight like this was Mike Tyson vs Lennox Lewis June 8, 2002.
That fight was over a decade ago and even with the fact that both men had losses and were probably not in there prime, it was still able to capture the magic and attention of the fans and it signified to some the ending of an era in Heavyweight boxing.
Wilder vs Joshua has once again got the rival juices flowing with it being Champion vs Champion and two guys that are complete opposites. Wilder who is brash, loud & has a huge personality vs Joshua, the calm laid back & gentle type. Both men are undefeated, both men have big KO power and both men are champions in there prime. It has caused a buzz that the fans and division has yearned for since June 8, 2002. These kinds of fights with this much on the line are boxing purist & casual fans fantasy.
