At the start of 2021, the path appeared to be clear for Anthony Joshua. The goal for the heavyweight was to unify belts in a Battle of Britain clash versus Tyson Fury. His projected opponent was even more eager for the showdown to take place, and everyone involved was working towards that aim.
The plans didn’t, however, come to fruition and, as we look ahead to a brand new year in the ring, Joshua’s future looks far from certain.
Rather than face his preferred opponent, Fury was forced to complete a trilogy fight against Deontay Wilder. The heavyweights had previously been involved in two stunning battles, and it’s fair to say that most fans outside of the U.K. wanted a third meeting.
Joshua then faced up to a title bout against Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk with a view to meeting Fury later in the year. The Gypsy King kept his side of the bargain, defeating Wilder via an eleventh-round knockout but A.J. failed to come through.
Defeat to Usyk by a unanimous decision leaves the Watford fighter at something of a crossroads.
Despite having no definite plans, a battle between Joshua and Fury remains a strong possibility for some boxing pundits. In fact, there are betting markets available for a future showdown between the two British fighters.
For the record, the top boxing betting websites affiliated with sbo.net are showing Fury as a clear favorite for victory. There’s actually a number of these prospective markets around with additional options for Joshua vs. Wilder, Fury vs. Whyte, and others.
When a fight is confirmed, more sportsbooks will become involved and the markets will start to fill up. Sbo.net will update the odds while readers can also take in news and opinion articles from around the boxing fraternity.
With all of that information to hand, it is possible to stake in those markets via the bookmakers mentioned on the site. All of those outlets are accepting new customers, and it should be possible to take advantage of a welcome promotion in return for registration.
As part of the process, a range of different funding methods can get the account moving, while fast help options and a selection of other sporting markets are also on the table.
It’s a sound website for boxing fans but where will Anthony Joshua’s battles take him in 2022?
Discussion may still surround Anthony Joshua’s next move but the former Olympic gold medalist has already made his own decision. A.J. swiftly triggered a rematch clause against Usyk and negotiations are taking place for the Ukrainian to make his first title defense.
Speaking in November, the promoters suggest that Joshua vs. Usyk 2 could take place in Apr. 2022. There could, potentially, be some issues with tensions in the Ukraine making the U.K. a more plausible venue. That may not please the Usyk camp, and the rematch is far from being a done deal.
As we initially saw with the proposed Fury vs. Joshua fight in 2021, plans do not always come to fruition. There is scope for A.J. vs. Usyk 2 to fall through and, if that were to happen, there would be plenty of fighters waiting in the wings.
Fury was disappointed with Joshua’s initial defeat to the Ukrainian and would be happy to take him on again. Elsewhere, Whyte, and even Wilder, have been mentioned as potential opponents next year.
Much will depend on the outcome of any rematch, and it may be a gamble for A.J. to step straight back into the ring with Usyk. While his loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. was a shock, he was quickly able to put things right in their second battle.
Usyk is a much better fighter than Ruiz and may well be the favorite to claim a second win. If A.J. were to lose, he could find himself at a crossroads and may even consider retirement.
With that in mind, maybe it would be best to skip straight to Fury and give the world the fight that it truly wants.