Just 12 months ago, the heavyweight division had three undefeated fighters at the top of their game.
Anthony Joshua was months away from facing Andy Ruiz Jr – though he thought it would be Jarrell Miller – and Deontay Wilder was reigning supreme as WBC champion after salvaging a draw with Tyson Fury in late 2018.
Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder were two unbeaten, knockout punchers before the last 12 months
Today, Joshua is still the WBO, IBF, IBO and WBA heavyweight champion, but he had to prize them back from Ruiz Jr after a shock loss last June.
Wilder was destroyed by Tyson Fury in February and lost his WBC title, meaning the Gypsy King is the last top heavyweight standing with an unbeaten record.
When Joshua fell to Ruiz in Madison Square Garden, Wilder said: “Joshua, I think he’s a broken man. Mentally, he’s done.”
He then slammed Joshua’s tactics when he won the belts back, too.
Joshua’s loss was certainly more stinging than Wilder’s and the Bronze Bomber took the chance to kick AJ while he was down in the aftermath.
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Fury dominated Wilder from start to finish on February 22
However, Joshua had no intention of doing that to Wilder when he was picked apart by Fury in Las Vegas.
“Oh yeah, oh yeah,” Joshua said in an interview with DAZN’s Chris Mannix. “I went into my drawer and pulled out my long list of things to say, I’ve got a lot of things to say about Wilder.
“But you don’t knock a man when he’s down, also. And that was at the top of the list. I have to stand by those principles.
“But for sure, I think me and Wilder, as I say, are cut from a different cloth. He’s what we call… it begins with a ‘b’ and ends with a ‘h’. I’m not like that, I’m more of a man.
“I don’t really get on the internet talking crap. The only times you’ve seen me talking recklessly is against Dillian Whyte and Jarrell Miller.
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Ruiz Jr knocked Joshua down four times to force an upset stoppage win in June 2019
“Other than that I’m an ambassador of the sport. I’m trying to be clean, representing my sponsorship, represent DAZN properly, I try to stay away from the typical stereotype of a heavyweight boxer.
“It’s difficult but I have it in me to fire up and talk recklessly when needed.”
Joshua’s next title defence is against Kubrat Pulev, but he has suggested that Pulev and Wilder should accept some ‘stand-aside money’ so that he can face Fury in a unification fight.
Of course, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has put all fights on hold.
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