In the last few day a trio of news stories involving the top of the heavyweight division have been reported across multiple outlets. We now have potential next opponents for both Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker as well as news concerning Alexander Povetkin and his drug test caused strained relationship with the WBC.
- Alexander Povektin’s lifetime ban from the WBC is over after a year according to the Russian heavyweight’s manager Andrey Ryabinskiy. This is not a surprise. The other sanctioning bodies already caved a while back for the habitual PED offender. Ryabinskiy claims the sanctioning body has suddenly found his fighter innocent. I bet they also coincidentally found some money laying around that they get to keep. A lot of it, I bet. What title will Povektin fail a drug test fighting for next? I can’t wait to find out.
- WBO heavyweight titleholder Joseph Parker is looking to make an Oceanic super fight of sorts next with Lucas Browne. Browne briefly held a secondary belt himself following his upset come from behind stoppage of Ruslan Chagaev, but the recent heavyweight tradition of failing a post fight drug test took his belt away. This would be a next to unheard of matchup of top ten world ranked Australian/Kiwi heavyweights and likely do really big business down under.
- Finally, Anthony Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn has told ESPN that Jarrell Miller is a possible next opponent for his heavyweight gold mine should Miller prevail this weekend against Mariusz Wach on HBO. Joshua v Miller would be a potential fight for Anthony Joshua’s debut in the United States. Hearn, the UK promotional kingpin under the Matchroom Promotions banner, could potentially sign Miller to his upstart Matchroom USA as part of this arrangement.
