Boxing’s Bomb Cyclone

Anyone with this handle has to be big, and the one I have in mind is very big and very fit with a prominent six-pack, visible vascularity in his biceps and forearms, and broad shoulders featuring deltoids that flow down from an impressive trapezius. But he is not a body builder; he is a boxer—and boxer/puncher at that, capable of one-punch KO’s.

He is 6’ 6” and weighs anywhere from 245-255. His reach is an impressive 82″/208cm. So size-wise, this lad (he is only 28) meets the requirements of being a Bomb Cyclone.

How about his performance; does he come off as a perfect storm-type? Again, the answer is strongly in the affirmative. He is a boxer/puncher who is technically proficient with no glaring flaws. After a marvelous and celebrated amateur career in which he reached the pinnacle, each of his fights as a professional has ended in a stoppage. In short, he has never been extended the full distance. He has won some by early and thunderous KO’s and others by stalking, stunning and closing out his prey much like the legendary Thai closer Khaosai Galaxy. When this agile giant has his opponent hurt, it’s like watching the Discovery Channel on TV.

This man has been named “Prospect of the Year” and was involved in a “Fight of the Year.”

With a 20-0 record, hmm, is it Tyson Fury?

Absolutely not, though their records are quite similar and they both have the charisma to draw immense crowds to their fights.

Moreover, this bomber possesses something intangible that has his fans roaring in their seats and singing songs long before he marches down the aisle. No frills, no tattoos, no trash talk, no nicknames; he is all about boxing and what happens inside his area of work. That eliminates Deontay Wilder who otherwise might come very close to fitting the bill except he can’t seem to draw fans.

“A.J.”

The Bomb Cyclone is none other than Anthony Joshua, as if you didn’t have enough clues to figure that out. Many refer to him simply as “A.J.” or “Josh.”

Even Deontay Wilder admits to an area in which A.J. is a technically better fighter: “He definitely throws combinations better, being a technical fighter. You can tell he tries to be perfect when he throws. You can see it in training and stuff, you know, practice makes perfect, so I don’t knock him for that.”

Wilder quickly falls back on his experience over Joshua’s youth, but that contention evaporates when one is reminded that A.J. stopped the very experienced Wladimir Klitschko.

A.J. currently holds the IBF, WBA and IBO titles so total unification is in his sights. The first step comes on April 21 in Cardiff, Wales, when he meets WBO title-holder Joseph Parker. And the thinking here is that he walks through Parker in a brutal manner. Trainer David Coldwell is blunter: “I think he absolutely smashes him to bits. I just don’t think Parker’s in his league, to be honest.”

The expansive Scouser Tony Bellew adds Tyson Fury to the equation, “It’s pretty simple, [and] they write themselves don’t they. First up, Joseph Parker, secondly maybe Tyson Fury, and then thirdly Deontay Wilder.”

Others seem to have fallen by the wayside. They include the dangerous Dillian Whyte, who has a March date with Australia’s undefeated Lucas Browne, Kubrat Pulev, Alexander Povetkin, and injury-prone David Haye; however, Syria–born Manuel Charr might also figure in.

A fight between A.J. and Tyson Fury would be the biggest fight in British boxing history. However, not unlike the unreliable David Haye, it could well be an exercise in futility to think that the “Gypsy King” can get himself back in fighting shape anytime soon. As for Deontay Wilder, A.J.s promoter Eddie Hearn leans toward Las Vegas: “Josh has done Wembley, he’s done Cardiff, [and] so I want to see him in America.”

Tony Bellew, among others, believes the fight belongs in England. “That is the summer blockbuster that the heavyweight division needs,” says Bellew of a Joshua-Wilder fight. “It would be absolutely brilliant and should be at Wembley Stadium. Forget about Las Vegas. I’ve seen Wilder in sparring and I’ve seen what a tough fighter he is. It’s a hard fight and one where genuinely it could go either way.”

Jamie Moore, the trainer of former two-division world champion Carl Frampton, concurs with Bellew: “Everyone is mad crazy about Joshua going over to America, but I don’t see why. Britain is the heart of boxing right now and A.J. vs. Wilder at Wembley would be huge.” (Moore, by the way, cautions that Parker is not an easy fight for Anthony Joshua.  “Parker is tougher than most people expect and I can see him causing A.J. a few problems,” he says. “Of course, it could be over with one punch with the power of Joshua.”)

Frank Lotierzo sums it up nicely: “A win over Parker gets Joshua three quarters to where he desires to be. If Deontay Wilder beats Luis Ortiz, as they are penciled in to fight this March, the path will be clear and there will be no excuses for Joshua and Wilder not to get on with their much anticipated showdown with all the meaningful hardware on the line before the end of 2018.”

Getting past Ortiz would increase Deontay Wilder’s stock exponentially and if he does it in spectacular fashion, the oddsmakers will squirm.

Ted Sares is one of the oldest power lifters in the world and is a four-time winner of the EPF’s Grand Master championship. He also is a member of Ring 4’s Boxing Hall of Fame.

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