The current IBF, WBA, WBO world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is set to fight for the first time on US soil when he takes on unbeaten American challenger Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller on June 1st at Madison Square Garden in New York.
The undefeated British superstar also owns a gold medal in the 2012 Olympic games representing Great Britain, and carries an entire country on his back when he fights.
Joshua is promoted by Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom boxing and he’s fought the majority of his bouts in the UK.
AJ fighting in the United States is a big deal since many other British boxing greats from Lennox Lewis to Ricky Hatton felt he should fight there like the other world champions of the past to truly be an international star.
The main purpose of Joshua’s fight in New York is to target a new audience and to help build up interest for a possible superfight between the winner of Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury 2.
Wilder is the vicious undefeated knockout puncher from Tuscaloosa, Alabama and he owns the WBC championship, that is the lone title that Joshua needs to claim undisputed status and go down as one of the All Time Great boxers.
Undisputed championship means you are the man and cleaned out the entire division, it’s one of the rare accomplishments in boxing with only a handful of people achieving this. Terence Crawford was undisputed at junior welterweight before moving up to 147 pounds, and Oleksandr Usyk is the current undisputed cruiserweight world champion.
Promoter Eddie Hearn who oversees Joshua’s career told TMZ sports that should his fighter defeat Miller on June 1st the ultimate goal is to fight the winner of the Wilder-Fury rematch at the end of the year.
The fight would be the biggest heavyweight boxing event since Lennox Lewis vs. Mike Tyson in 2002.
