Anthony Joshua, England's heavyweight boxing champion, took his 19th-straight victory home at Wembley Stadium on Saturday night against former boxing champion, Wladimir Klitschko. As Joshua becomes a huge part of the boxing community, there are a lot of opportunities opening up to him, especially in the United States.
Joshua did not take the World Boxing Association (WBA) belt home without a challenge. He was knocked down by the sixth-round, but he was able to persevere and stand back up in order to defeat Klitschko by a technical knockout during the 11th round.
With a dramatic victory, Joshua was able to gain the attention of the American crowd. For growing fighters, United States is commonly the next step to take for further career growth.
Joshua's next two fights will be handled by Showtime, which is likely to pave the way for a successful career. Executive vice president of Showtime Sports, Stephen Espinoza, explained in an interview with USA Today how important it is for them to have an appearance in the United States.
"There is a lure not just for financial reasons but conquering the unconquered and breaking a new frontier. It is sort of uncharted territory. For most of the U.S. audience this was their first exposure to him and you couldn't get a better introduction," he explained.
Joshua's next opponent has not been determined yet. The contract for his previous fight with Klitschko included a rematch clause, but it is still unconfirmed whether or not Klitschko will take on the challenge after being knocked down three times and ultimately being defeated in the 11th round by a technical knockout.
Following his huge victory that made him earn more than $15 million, Joshua lets his viewers know that he does not "back down" from a fight.
