Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya views IBF, IBO, WBA heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (20-0, 20 KOs) as the man who is reshaping the entire division of the big men.
Joshua became the biggest ticket seller in the sport last April, when he stopped Wladimir Klitschko before a crowd of 90,000 fans at Wembley in London.
And then Joshua came back in the fall, when he stopped Carlos Takam before a crowd of over 78,000 fans at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.
Joshua is back in the ring on March 31, once again in Principality, when he unifies with WBO world champion Joseph Parker (24-0, 18 KOs) - and more than 70,000 fans are expected.
"I love Anthony Joshua. He's a great fighter. I believe Anthony Joshua is reviving the heavyweight division. He's the man. And I believe Anthony Joshua can become a superstar on a global scale," De La Hoya told Sky Sports.
Should Joshua win, his promoter Eddie Hearn would like to have him make his American debut in the fall - potentially against Jarrell Miller. There is also the possibility of fighting WBA mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin.
But the biggest challenge out there is against WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (39-0, 38 KOs), who returns on Saturday night in a defense against undefeated Cuban puncher Luis Ortiz at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Should Wilder and Joshua both win, it's very unlikely that they will fight each other next.
De La Hoya's company promoted the bulk of Wilder's fights. He believes a showdown with Joshua would be an even split encounter.
"It's a pick'em fight. I believe that it's a 50-50 fight. But the fact that Anthony Joshua is only getting better, he's only getting stronger, he's only getting faster - the sky is the limit for Anthony Joshua and I can't wait to see him in the U.S.," De La Hoya said.
2023-10-20 12:39:47
