Joshua Stops Klitschko-Boxing Challenge

Lots of news today and I'll try to get to it over the next day or so,as the Browns finished their draft,the Devils won the draft lottery and a cleaning of the inbox all need to be addressed,but first....

In one of the best heavyweight fights in years.Anthony Joshua rallied from behind (on my card,at least) to stop Wladimir Klitschko in the 11th round at London's Wembley Stadium to retain the IBF heavyweight title and add the vacant WBA belt as well.
Joshua knocked down Klitschko twice in the 11th after starting the round with an uppercut that would have finished most fighters,but didn't drop Klitschko,however that punch sent the fight Joshua's way.
Joshua seemed to be on his way to a earlier knockout when he sent Klitschko to the floor in the fifth,but a overconfident Joshua allowed Klitschko to recover and by the end of the round,it was the Ukrainian that was landing more punches and seemed to be the fresher combatant,
That theory proved true,when it was Joshua that went crashing to the floor in the following round six from a Klitschko right,but Klitschko didn't go all out for the kill and allowed a staggering and stung Joshua to survive.
The fight was a strong action fight,which was unusual for Klitschko,who based his career on boring,yet efficient victories and had the 90,000 person crowd screaming with delight for most of the bout.
I had Klitschko ahead 95-93 (6-4 in rounds) after ten,but had Klitschko survived the eleventh,Joshua would have certainly been ahead with a 10-7 eleventh round.

The fighters are contractually committed to a rematch,but I'm not sure that is a great idea.
This gallant effort by Klitschko might turn out to be the final top effort that he has in him and even though he was ahead on my card (and one official card) after ten,the knockdowns would have certainly cost him a decision  and I'm not sure a rematch has a chance of swinging back his way.
A rematch would draw money and interest,but I have a feeling that it has little chance of approaching this fight.
Klitschko would be well suited to use this fight as his swan song.

As for Joshua,he has options in the event of the rematch not happening.
The big fight would be against the conqueror of Klitschko in the troubled Tyson Fury,which would be for the lineal title (since Fury won it from Klitschko),would draw another huge crowd and make massive money.
The problem is that Fury is unreliable and even if the fight is made,it has a decent chance of never taking place.
WBC champ Deontay Wilder would make sense as two former Olympians with punching power and questionable chins might make a great fight and unify three of the titles together.
The problem there is that Wilder prefers to talk about big fights and then fight collections of no-hopers and against the one decent opponent that Wilder faced (Bermane Stiverne),that opponent lasted the distance and Wilder seemed to be happier to box rather than punch.
WBO champion Joseph Parker would have fought Joshua already,as he was the number one contender for Joshua's IBF belt,but after the WBO stripped Tyson Fury,Parker had an easier path to that title (a close decision over Andy Ruiz for the vacant strap) and took it.
Also as bad as the opposition of Deontay Wilder's has been,Parker's has been arguably worse to date.
What might be best for all would be for Wilder and Parker to face off while Joshua fights Fury (or someone else in the very possible event of a Fury dropout).
That would make the winner very valuable with two titles and make an eventual Joshua fight even more of an event.

In the boxing challenge,I earned two points for the Joshua KO with Ramon Malpica getting one for the Joshua win.
I lead the boxing challenge at 53-43.

Boxing Challenge

One fight in the boxing challenge and it is a massive one as Anthony Joshua defends his IBF heavyweight championship and the vacant WBA title is on the line as well vs the former and long-term champion Wladimir Klitschko in London's Wembley Stadium in front of 90,000 people..

This is looked at by most as the coming out party for Joshua,who looks to enter the first top notch name on his resume' against Klitschko.
Klitschko enters the ring with huge questions-mainly those that note a 17 month layoff after a dreadful effort in his title losing effort vs Tyson Fury that saw him unable to get the right hand off and look slow and washed up.

This could be a rocket fest or it could be very dull with Klitschko doing plenty of grabbing and clinching,but no matter how exciting the fight is,it will have historical significance.
Either Anthony Joshua establishes himself as the top heavyweight and his era begins or Klitschko pulls off the comeback of a lifetime with all the things against him to regain his status as the best heavyweight in the world.

In the boxing challenge,I hold a 51-42 lead over Ramon Malpica.

R.L:Joshua unanimous decision
TRS:Joshua KO 8

Fury upsets Klitschko-Boxing Challenge

Big weekend in the boxing challenge as I retained my five point lead over R.L.Malpica at 141-136 through different means.
Before we start,I watched the HBO replay of the Canelo Alvarez-Miguel Cotto fight and saw it at 116-112 for Alvarez.

The big news of the weekend saw England's Tyson Fury lift the WBA and IBF heavyweight titles from longtime champion Wladimir Klitschko via unanimous decision in Germany.
It was a truly dull fight without action,but I scored Fury a 115-112 winner (8-4 in rounds) after Fury was deducted a point late in the fight for punching behind the head.
Klitschko is contractually to a rematch and he has activated that clause .
Fury may vacate the IBF belt and begin to break up Klitschko's work as the IBF number one contender Vlacheslav Glazkov may not step aside in order to allow the rematch.
Klitschko looked very hesitant to me to throw the right hand and just couldn't "get it off".
It reminded me quite a bit of older Larry Holmes as Klitschko would cock the gun and just couldn't fire.
I understand why Klitschko wants and deserves a rematch,but as far as pleasing fights go,I doubt that it will be any better than this one-even if Klitschko wins....
R.L.picked Fury and added one point to his total as I selected Klitschko...

The fight of the weekend as far as action goes was from Quebec City,Canada as James DeGale took a unanimous decision to retain his IBF super middleweight title of Lucien Bute..
In a great fight,I had DeGale a 115-113 winner and I earned the point back that I lost from R.L with the DeGale win..
DeGale wants to unify titles with Badou Jack of the WBC and I'm all for that.
That may not be a huge fight,but I like seeing titles unified whenever possible,,,,

Neither of us scored points as Elieder Alvarez took a majority decision over Isaac Chilemba in a light heavy bout to become the mandatory contender for WBC champ Adonis Stevenson.
I scored it 114-114,,so my issue isn't Alvarez getting the duke,it's more because of a ridiculous 118-110 scorecard for Alvarez.

We enter the PBC mismatch portion of the show as each of us earned five points for squash matches.
Erislandy Lara knocked out washed up (and he wasn't that good to begin with) former IBF welter champ Jan Zaveck in three rounds.
Jermall Charlo stopped undeserving challenger Wilky Campfort in four rounds to retain his IBF 154 pound belt and super prospect Errol Spence stopped Alejandro Barrera in five.
I really see Spence as a rising star and I look forward to seeing Spence against improved competition whenever that will be,
PBC has tons of welterweight talent,if they would only match them up other than giving us more tired fights like the upcoming Danny Garcia-Robert Guerrero bout in 2016....