From the world boxing champion to the internet celebrity, Joshua is only one farce away from the depravity

A few months ago, Anthony Joshua was still standing in the middle of the ring where the world boxing champion battles, and was praised by public opinion as "still have the hope of returning to the peak of heavyweight." At that time, his opponent was Daniel Dubois, a serious boxing champion. The game was related to the IBF heavyweight world boxing champion's gold belt, and each punch touched the direction of the heavyweight pattern. But who would have thought that in just half a year, this boxer who had dominated the throne of the heavyweight world boxing champion for many years had fallen to the point of picking opponents between the "Internet celebrity jumping clown" and the "retired old cannon"? The gap is even more dazzling than his embarrassment when he was knocked down by Daniel Dubois.

Recalling the fact that Anthony Joshua played against Daniel Dubois in September last year, although he lost the final upset, at least that game had a "serious" weight. Daniel Dubois is the new world boxing champion in IBF. He is young and fierce, with the spirit of a "new force". The showdown between the two is a real "heavyweight power transfer battle". Even though Anthony Joshua was in a decline, he was still regarded as a top player who "can compete with Oleksander Usic and Tyson Fury". He discussed "how to regain the gold belt" rather than "who should I choose to make money by making money."

But what about now? His list of potential opponents is like a cast of an absurd drama: on one side is Jack Paul, a "cross-border Internet celebrity" who relies on social media to attract attention. He played 6 games in his career. His opponent is either a former NBA player or a retired MMA player. His fists are far less hard than his hype. On the other side is Andre Ward, a "double-level old boxing champion" who has been retired for more than 8 years and is 41 years old. He played 175 pounds light and heavyweight at his peak, but now he is calling for upgrading to a heavyweight of 200+ pounds "hit" to the point, but he just wants to make a pension with Anthony Joshua's fame.

Where is this "choose the opponent"? It is clearly "choosing scripts". Anthony Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn also made a big fuss that he could make £100 million when playing with Jack Paul - it sounds tempting, but how hot is this money? When Mike Tyson fought Evand Holyfield, he earned the honor of "War of the Century"; when Ali fought Fraser, he won the "dignity of boxing". If Anthony Joshua really stands on the ring with Jack Paul, and wins, it is just a matter of course that "professional boxers beat up internet celebrities"; if they lose, it is the eternal laughing stock of "the boxing champion was pulled down from the altar by the clown." This money is more like a buyout fee for Anthony Joshua's seniority. After paying the money, he said goodbye to not only the word "great", but even the job of boxing.

As for Andre Ward's call, it is more like a carefully designed collision. This veteran who was once a super middleweight and light heavyweight, has retired for nearly 10 years and has the biggest intersection with boxing in the commentary competition. He may not even be able to persist in daily training, but he said shamelessly, "Anthony Joshua is the only opponent who can make me come back." He really thought he could cross two levels and fight Anthony Joshua head-on at the heavyweight level? But it is accurate to calculate Anthony Joshua's current "weakness" - his condition is declining and he is in urgent need of competition. Even if his opponent is an "outdated star", he can still be used as a "step stone for the return". However, Andre Ward seemed to have forgotten that his box office was comparable to the "King of the Cold Stages". Now he is dragging his old arms and legs to make up for the numbers. It is not so much an "epic showdown" but rather a "two frustrated people keep warming each other." The fall of Anthony Joshua was never sudden. I don’t know when, Anthony Joshua was no longer confident in his skills and began to change coaches repeatedly. Although Robert Garcia, Derek James, Ben Davidson, and Don Charles were all characters who could enter the Hall of Fame in the future, it made Anthony Joshua’s tactical style erratic.

The situation today was destined from the moment Anthony Joshua lost the game instead of training but busy posting social media "Chicken Soup for the Heart". A true boxing champion will reject the hype of internet celebrities at its peak and will choose tough battles to prove himself at the trough. And what about Anthony Joshua? He seems to be better at swaying between "decent retirement" and "making quick money", turning his former boxing champion halo into a farce that can be sold at any time.

A few months ago, he was able to stand on the stage of the world boxing champion battle; a few months later, he wanted to choose an "opponent" between Internet celebrities and retired veterans. This gap is not a joke of fate, but a "shortcut" he has taken step by step. When a boxer starts to measure the value of the game by "how much money is made" rather than "the value of victory", he is only far from being a "joke in professional boxing", and he is only about signing the game contract with an internet celebrity.