Four-time super-middleweight world champion Carl Froch famously became the first boxer to headline an event at the new Wembley Stadium, knocking out George Groves in their rematch in what turned out to be Froch’s final professional bout. Now, Anthony Joshua will become the first to top three boxing bills at the venue, but ‘The Cobra’ had some choice words to say about the contest.
Heavyweight fan-favourite Frank Bruno became the only fighter to appear in two post-war main-events at the national stadium, taking on Tim Witherspoon and Oliver McCall in two world title challenges, the second of which was successful. The stadium was then rebuilt between 2003 and 2007 and Froch and Groves became the first duo to top a bill at the venue.
Since then, Anthony Joshua has faced both Wladimir Klitschko and Alexander Povetkin atop Wembley cards, but he has twice lost his world titles since those victories. Now, Joshua will attempt to become boxing’s fifth three-time heavyweight world champion as he challenges for Daniel Dubois’ IBF strap in what will be a record-breaking third main-event at Wembley Stadium, where victory could see him enter the realm of immortality in the eyes of talkSPORT’s Simon Jordan.
However, on the Froch on Fighting YouTube channel, the International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee claimed that a possible for victory for Joshua against Dubois is not as meaningful for his legacy as some are making it out to be, insinuating that he would not see ‘AJ’ as a true world champion for defeating his fellow Brit.
“[Simon Jordan said] that ‘if AJ beats Dubois and becomes a three-time world champion then he is in the realm of immortality’ – sorry Simon but that is bulls**t. Immortality? You are comparing him with the likes of Lennox Lewis for example, come on, you can’t compare those C.V.’s and you can’t say that by winning a title that has been stripped off of the champion [he has become immortal]. That is the problem that I have got with this title being fragmented or vacated or taken off of the real champion – which is Usyk. That is my main problem.
“If AJ beats Dubois, then he is going to hold his hand up with that IBF heavyweight belt and say I am now the three-time heavyweight world champion. Everybody with a brain is going to be saying ‘hang on a minute, didn’t you lose to the guy that you have just took that belt off?’. Boxing shouldn’t be like that and that will be solved that will if we have a boxing league, if Turki Al-Alshikh does step in and start running boxing like Dana White.”
Joshua-Dubois takes place on September 21st, with a plethora of British talent also appearing on the undercard for what will be Turki Al-Alshikh’s first foray into the United Kingdom since his arrival into the forefront of world boxing around 12 months ago.
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