The new year is almost upon us and 2020 promises to be some eventful year for the heavyweights. Over the next 12 months, we should see good, maybe great, maybe even all-time great big men Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder, Anthony Joshua, Dillian Whyte, Oleksandr Usyk, Joseph Parker, Kubrat Pulev Andy Ruiz (?) and others, maybe Luis Ortiz, Jarrell Miller, Adam Kownacki, Dereck Chisora – and maybe even Wladimir Klitschko, Shannon Briggs and (ugh) Riddick Bowe – all trying their best to reap the rewards and the riches the sport’s premiere division can bring.
Right now, Joshua, the WBA/IBF/WBO champ, holds most of the belts, while Wilder, the long-reigning WBC boss, and Fury, the proud claimant of the lineal crown, also insist they are the best. But who is the best? Right now we don’t know; and fans are making a case, and an argument, for Joshua, some for Fury, others for Wilder. Will 2020 see a truly dominant heavyweight king emerge?
It could prove to be a complicated year.
Fury and Wilder are set to go at it again in a February 22 rematch, but there is talk that the two could then fight a third fight. This could take up a substantial portion of 2020 for both men. Joshua may well find himself tangled up with mandatory obligations, fights A.J will look to take so as to try and hold onto his three belts. But it does seem as though Joshua will be forced to vacate at least one of his belts. That would mean a third man will at some point in 2020 be walking around calling himself heavyweight champion.
In an ideal world (one we fight fans have not lived in since, well, maybe, arguably, the mid-1970s), the Wilder-Fury rematch winner would then fight Joshua, for all the marbles, and then get busy defending against the likes of Usyk, Kownacki, Whyte, Miller, and one or two other deserving guys. But we know this will never happen.
Basing things on what is likely to happen in 2020, which belt-holder will remain as such come the end of 2020? Wilder has to be given a great chance of retaining both his belt and his unbeaten record, due largely to his frightening punching power. But Fury, with his sheer size, his skills and his fighting heart, doesn’t look like going anywhere himself. What about Joshua, has he got the beating of the mandatories he will likely face: Usyk and Kubrat Pulev? If so, would you feel safe betting on Joshua to then beat either Wilder or Fury? Or maybe you don’t believe either massive fight will actually happen in 2020?
The way things are going we could be in a similar place to right now when another year has rolled along: with Wilder, Joshua and Fury all still arguing (or rather letting their rival promoters argue) who is the best. While maybe Usyk may also see out the year holding a belt.
Don’t go betting on seeing an undisputed heavyweight king any time soon. On the plus side, we can expect lots of good match-ups/fights next year.
