Anthony Joshua woke up Arslanbek Makhmudov before even getting the chance to put him to sleep. The Russian giant dreamed of a fight against Joshua. Apparently money can buy anything. In this case, it’s true for AJ.
Makhmudov had to go through a long week after Monday’s announcement. Not only will the British heavyweight not be his next opponent, he’s fighting Jake Paul. Talk about a slap in the face!
Just a few weeks ago, the adopted Montrealer was speaking to the media before his fight against Dave Allen. It seemed there was an agreement between him and Joshua. Makhmudov simply had to win in hostile territory and he’d get the long-desired fight, which he did.
Photo: NBC News – Jake Paul vs Julio César Chavez Jr
Money over pride
So why did Anthony Joshua sign up for a circus act instead of facing a real heavyweight? It seems money can make an athlete lose all common sense. He’s not the first to go down that road.
That said, if everything goes as planned Anthony Joshua shouldn’t have any trouble sending Jake Paul to dreamland in less than three rounds. Of course, the emphasis is on “if everything goes as planned.”
That would open the door for Makhmudov once again, wouldn’t it?
Yes and no. AJ earned immeasurable purses against Usyk and we can imagine he’s not going to fight at the Kaseya Center on December 19 in exchange for a new pair of gloves and a pat on the back. Often, after that kind of fight, athletes lose their hunger to compete. It’s up to Joshua to prove otherwise.
Photo: Boxing News – Arslanbek Makhmudov
But even if Joshua decides to take his career seriously again, that doesn’t guarantee a fight for Makhmudov. Now that the Brit has become the celebrity he is, the entire heavyweight division is going to rush toward him. Why would he decide to fight big Makh?
Advantages and disadvantages
The English are passionate boxing fans. Nothing against Dave Allen, but it’s hard to believe that guy is a crowd favorite in the UK. Makhmudov has never been a great technical boxer, and he managed to beat him by unanimous decision on his home turf. If you know boxing, you know that’s not easy to do, especially in the UK.
All in all, Arslanbek made himself known to the European public. It’s not crazy to think English fans would want to see AJ avenge Allen. And it’s not crazy to believe AJ would be interested if the price were right.
Photo: Sky Sports – Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua
From another perspective, why would Joshua risk boxing a Russian with such devastating punching power? Even though he would be a heavy favorite, he’d be taking the risk of getting knocked out by a boxer with two losses on his record.
Back to the drawing board
The Lion can therefore keep dreaming, because as they say: nothing is impossible. Still, there are other very interesting fights for him in the heavyweight division.
We’re just putting the idea out there, but it would be surprising if no one wanted to see a fight between Makhmudov and Alexis Barrière. After the Quebecer’s recent loss, the two boxers find themselves in pretty similar situations. It would allow one of them to propel himself onto the international stage, while offering a local fight for Quebec fans. It’s just one idea among many others.
Photo: Netflix – Anthony Joshua
In short, it’s not impossible for Makhmudov to get his chance against Anthony Joshua, but even if he doesn’t, it’s not the end of the world. One thing is certain: when he returns to the ring, all eyes will be on the Russian giant.
