On April 9th, the heavyweight rankings experienced a shake-up when former Olympic gold medalist Anthony “AJ” Joshua (16-0, 16 KO’s) of England fought for and won his first world title against American heavyweight Charles Martin (23-1-1, 21 KO’s). Joshua made quick and easy work of Martin and demolished him within two rounds.
The victory over Martin was a step in the right direction for Joshua as he looks to establish himself as a legitimate heavyweight. When you factor in the title, Joshua should not take any steps back in terms of level of opposition. He started out his career by fighting boxers with legitimate records and has maintained that to this very day which is something rarely seen today. So who does he face to prove his worth as a top fighter and to further his career/legacy?
With the Klitschko’s no longer holding the heavyweight straps the doors have opened and many potential stars have emerged in the division. Yes, the heavyweight division is no longer on life support and some of the current biggest names train and fight out of the United States. Among those that are atop of the division one of the most feared and avoided names is Luis “King Kong” Ortiz (25-0, 22 KO’s) who is promoted by the Golden Boy himself Oscar De La Hoya. De La Hoya took to social media after Joshua’s victory to congratulate the Brit on his victory and to tease the boxing world about a possible clash between Joshua and Ortiz down the road.
“Congratulations Anthony Joshua on your world title win,” stated De La Hoya. “It’ll be fun putting together Luis Ortiz and you in the same ring someday.”
Should the fight happen between the two it would be the type of fight that the division needs and big things would definitely come to the victor. As a boxing fan, I hope it happens sooner than later
