The last big spectacle that brought the boxing world into the limelight was the clash between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. The ‘fight of the century’ took place two years ago with Money defeating Pac-Man in a 12-round unanimous decision. But it didn’t do much for boxing. The boxing aspect of that match was lost in the hype before and after the event.
Which is why, this spectacular win by Anthony Joshua over Wladimir Klitschko on Saturday has restored that much-needed prestige to the tarnished image of boxing – heavyweight boxing to be specific.
The 11-round blockbuster between the British boxer and the Ukrainian legend was exactly what the raw sport of boxing is all about. Those brutal knockdowns, the inhuman ability to get back up after those seemingly debilitating punches are what the fans want to see. And this match had that and more to offer.
A record British crowd of 90,000 at the Wembley stadium saw the live action and millions more were tuned in from all over the world. Joshua retained his unbeaten record in the most extreme of circumstances having been knocked to the canvas for the first time in his professional career. But he somehow found the strength to put 41-year-old Klitschko down in the 11th round.
The 27-year-old Brit is now being hailed as the biggest star in world boxing after this exhilarating world heavyweight title triumph. Boxing is delighted to have a star that is this marketable. To put things into perspective, the British pay-per-view take up for the fight had been more than the record 1.15 million for the Pacquaio-Mayweather clash.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn, who was instrumental in organising this fight, now has plans to make Joshua, who unified the IBF and WBA titles, a global phenomenon. There are talks of setting up fights in new venues like China, the Middle East and Africa.
Boxing’s latest superstar already has endorsements from big brands like Jaguar, Under Armour and dozen more. And with this success that number is going to increase substantially. The back-story of Joshua is also compelling. From dropping out of school to being arrested, boxing gave him a path to glory and he chose it wisely. A storyline that increases his stature even more.
The heavyweight division, boxing’s flagship, is the one that dictates the popularity of the sport. It’s the battles in this category that have shaped the way the world sees boxing. And the emergence of Joshua may signal the dawn of an exciting new era in this weight class. No longer will the current generation have to depend on tales of the bygone Ali-Frazier era. This Joshua-Klitschko thriller will be remembered for a long time. And it could serve as boxing’s milestone moment.