New trainer of Tyson Fury, SugarHill Steward believes the current heavyweight landscape is at its most exciting in a long time.
As it stands, Fury will challenge Deontay Wilder for the WBC strap on February 22. Anthony Joshua, who holds the other three belts, looks set to take on his IBF mandate Kubrat Pulev next.
While many have lost patience in waiting for heavyweight’s first undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis in 2002, Steward believes it creates even more interest in a red-hot division.
A weight class which also includes the likes of Dillian Whyte, Andy Ruiz Jr. and Oleksandr Usyk.
“It’s very exciting one person doesn’t have all the belts. You gotta scramble for who’s the boss and who’s the big daddy.
“That brings the excitement to the division,” Steward exclusively told World Boxing News.
JOSHUA vs FURY
Steward, who replaced Ben Davison as Fury’s head coach, gave a glowing assessment of Joshua. The Briton reclaimed his unified champion status after outpointing Ruiz in the desert last month.
The 2012 Olympian avenged his sole defeat to Ruiz. It came after Mexico’s first ever heavyweight champion delivered the biggest upset of the decade with a seventh-round stoppage of Joshua on his Madison Square Garden debut.
Despite being exposed in the first encounter against Ruiz, SugarHill cited Joshua’s victory over Wladimir Klitschko as a prime example of the qualities in his locker.
“(Even though) I didn’t see that fight, I’m sad to say and I don’t have any views on that fight yet, (Joshua) definitely (has the ability to worry Fury). He’s a big guy.
“Anthony Joshua proved it with Wladimir Klitschko, he’s going to give anybody problems.
“Those three fighting are the top guys. They are going to give anybody problems.
“Now these guys (Wilder and Fury) have to fight and have to beat each other now, that’s what’s so exciting,” he added.
Wilder vs Joshua is hands down the biggest event the world wants to see. Although in the UK, Joshua vs Fury takes precedence, according to both AJ and promoter Eddie Hearn.
Either way, Joshua is beginning to clear a path to facing the winner in the summer. That’s provided the loser of February 22nd doesn’t invoke a contracted rematch clause.
Likely to drop the WBO belt, Joshua is set to face Kubrat Pulev in London before offering the victory mega-money for a 2020 blockbuster battle.
