Anthony Joshua: Povetkin dispatched, will fans wait much longer for Wilder?
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Anthony Joshua: 'Instinct' told me it was time to knock Povetkin out
Moments after Anthony Joshua had confirmed that Deontay Wilder remains his preferred opponent for his next Wembley fight on 13 April, the Briton's promoter Eddie Hearn struck a note of caution about the American WBC champion.
Sitting behind the WBA, IBF and WBO belts defended by inflicting a first stoppage on Alexander Povetkin, Joshua wished Wilder and Tyson Fury luck for their 1 December bout.
"Presumably Wilder will have a rematch clause," said Hearn. "So in terms of fighting Anthony in April, Deontay Wilder needs to win that fight for it to happen.
"It could be one of the biggest fights in all time boxing history. It will definitely be the biggest one in British boxing history. We will try to get that fight signed for April - subject to a Wilder victory in December."
Should Fury win, and a rematch with Wilder be in the pipeline, Joshua would be more likely to turn out in April against Dillian Whyte, a fighter much improved but one he has already beaten.
Joshua, who it was revealed had been unwell in the week before his classy win over Russia's former WBA champion Povetkin, added: "I don't want to wait until December to know. I want to start training again early January. If Wilder is not serious, there are other people out there.
"Hopefully we can get that deal signed and sealed before December so I can start planning the future."
'Get King Kong in there' - Joshua wearies of criticism
Eddie Hearn describes Tyson Fury as the 'most un-entertaining fighter' he has ever seen
After almost 12 months of failed negotiations with the Wilder camp, hopes of a deal being made before December - while the American has the threat of former unified champion Fury looming - are surely slim.
But Hearn's remarks shifted some of the pressure on to the American at a time when he knows his own fighter carries growing demands from an expectant public.
"Good luck to Wilder and Fury," added Joshua. "They have been pros over nine years; I have been five. I have borne the burden on my back for some years. All people were interested in is me fighting them all. I will knock them down one by one but people need to be patient."
Joshua seems to be changing tack in his public pronouncements. In recent weeks he has asked fans to "stay with me from start to finish", told the media he has had something of a "mid-life crisis" and announced the dawn of "chapter two" in his story.
He has uncharacteristically sniped at others too, leading his London Evening Standard column off this week with a dig at fellow Briton Fury, and saying that when the "power struggle" in the division is done, he will not be the one "down the pub telling war stories about 'how I was the lineal champ'".
While the crowds turn out in big enough numbers to fill stadiums, there is evidently frustration over the mouth-watering contests hyped but not made.
As Joshua has a little testily noted of late, stopping Povetkin, Wladimir Klitschko, Carlos Takam, Dominic Breazeale and Whyte, and out-pointed Joseph Parker, in a career still only 22 fights old is not enough for some.
Klitschko, Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson, George Foreman - none were world champions after so few fights, let alone with six defences behind them.
"With my critics, I look at them like my friends as they look at the smallest things for me to be perfect," said Joshua.
"The appeal is who is going to beat me - that's what people are interested in. So it's a tough old game. 'Give Anthony the toughest of the toughest, get King Kong in there' - that's the thing in boxing.
"That's why I have to stay on the top of my game. They always say it's one thing getting there and another staying there. A lot has been done in 10 years but there is a lot more to do."
Joshua's frustration at criticism and consequent change of attitude were apparent in the build-up to the Povetkin bout. Media commitments went smoothly but not beyond minimum obligations, while his open workout at York Hall on Wednesday offered a few minutes of skipping before he was whisked from the ring, a contrast to his accessibility at previous events.
Perhaps it is time for British fight fans to step back, admire his achievements and continued improvement, and accept that the biggest opponents will eventually come. At 28, he is two years younger than Fury and four younger than Wilder; all three have time to make the dream bouts happen.
'We are seeing a developing champion' - reaction
Minutes after Joshua took Povetkin out, Fury was on social media, calling the champion "slow, methodical, and ponderous at times" adding: "If I were you Joshua, I'd avoid me."
Predictable enough from a rival, but there were moments, notably late in the first round when a left hook staggered Joshua, where his vulnerability was apparent.
But BBC Sport boxing correspondent Mike Costello said the rugged Povetkin was a significant hurdle and that Joshua would go into April off the back of the "most impressive display of his career".
"I learned tonight that he is now beginning to control contests," said Costello. "Against that quality of opposition he was composed, even when there were uncomfortable moments.
"The criticism has intensified because so many fans expected Wilder in there tonight.
"I think he is in the process of changing. If you look at his last two weights, 17st 4lbs against Parker, 17st 8lbs here, it looks to me that he's settling on an optimum weight.
"This time he's been sleeping in rather than answering the dawn alarm clock, so he is still really working on becoming the perfect machine. We are definitely seeing a developing champion."
Joshua's trainer Rob McCracken - normally sparing with his praise - acknowledged the early weakness but said his fighter learned from his mistakes during the fight.
"He will learn from it and defend better next time," said McCracken. "Overall, he was punch perfect with the finish."
"Joshua did what great champions do and found a way. When he saw an opening, it was all over," former two-weight world champion David Haye told BBC Sport.
"Once he gets you hurt, he gets you out of there. A lot of fighters can't close the show - he showed once again he will get you out of there in a spiteful way."
British cruiserweight and BBC Sport columnist Tony Bellew pointed to Joshua's box office draw. After decades in which UK stadium fights were a rarity, Joshua has now had four in a row.
"AJ is coming into his own now," tweeted Bellew. "Wembley Stadium is just the norm now and that alone is unbelievable."
Would he beat Wilder?
"Anthony Joshua now holds all these belts and we just want to see him face Wilder now so he becomes king of the world," former featherweight world champion Naseem Hamed told BBC Sport.
"For me, Anthony Joshua is carrying boxing - the whole of boxing is on his back as an ambassador, which is an amazing thing.
"I am proud to say we have a British guy that is doing it in style like he is."
"Joshua will need to get his defensive work a little tighter," added Haye. "He can't afford to get hit with left hooks and right hands like he was tonight when he's in there with Wilder.
"Wilder will be more heavy-handed than Povetkin. He can't take the volume of punches he did tonight, as one shot from Wilder puts you on your bum."
Words of warning for the champion. If he heeds them and beats the big-hitting Wilder, those still critical of the Olympic and unified world champion will surely be won over.
- Published22 December 2018
