Star Wars: How Anthony Joshua Became the Centre of the Heavyweight Universe

Before wannabe actress Penny moved into a flat opposite geeky duo Leonard and Sheldon, the Big Bang theory was best known as an explanation for what happened at the beginning of the universe.

The premise states that, 13.8 billion years ago, long before the American sitcom of the same name became ridiculously popular, the cosmos "sprang into existence as a singularity," according to the appropriately named big-bang-theory.com.

Several billion years later, the solar system was formed, born out of a gravitational collapse of a molecular cloud.

How is all this science relevant to boxing, though? Well, the heavyweight division bears some similarities to our solar system (bear with me here, please).

The sun is the focal point, holding a gravitational pull which controls the movements of the rest. Right now, it feels like Anthony Joshua has assumed that position in the heavyweight universe.

Wladimir Klitschko was the division's sun for so long, but it wasn't a particularly bright period for the sport. Then, all of a sudden, boxing's big-bang moment arrived on November 28, 2015. In beating Klitschko, Tyson Fury delivered a seismic shift in power.

Fury should still be at the centre of the division, yet he's sadly been dormant ever since that famous night in Dusseldorf, Germany.

After postponing a rematch with Klitschko for a second time, a statement released through promoter Mick Hennessy revealed the Englishman was "medically unfit to fight."

Fury hopes to return to action once fully healthy again, although a comeback may depend on circumstances out of his control.

According to the Telegraph, the troubled fighter could be stripped of his licence by the British Boxing Board of Control following a reported failed drugs test in the United States, as well as an admission of taking cocaine in an interview with Stayton Bonner of Rolling Stone.

They say revenge is a dish best served cold, but Klitschko's plans to topple Fury have been on hold for so long they're stuck at the bottom of a chest freezer, buried below boxes of fish fingers and several tubs of Neapolitan ice cream that only have the chocolate sections left.

In reality, Klitschko must fear that fight has gone beyond its best-before date. Rather than face up to retirement, though, he's instead switched his focus to someone with a far brighter outlook.

However, let's break down the heavyweight structure with the aid of some familiar astronomical objects.

The Sun

Joshua—the IBF champion—has only had 17 pro fights, yet he has quickly become a focal point in a division that has been lifted out of the doldrums in the past 18 months or so.

Here is a fighter whose successful bid to claim the British title—in just his 15th outing in the paid ranks—headlined a pay-per-view card at the O2 Arena in London.

He was tipped for the top the moment he struck gold at the 2012 Olympics on home soil. While a major belt came along sooner than many expected, Joshua had promised to deliver prior to his pro debut in 2013.

"Hopefully we'll be competing for a title in four years' time," he told BBC Sport in October 2013.

Joshua was wrong with his prediction—he actually needed less than three years to achieve the feat.

The leap from domestic to world level was made possible so soon by the IBF stripping their belt from Fury's possession. Charles Martin claimed it and then travelled to England to be knocked out inside two rounds. It was a short but profitable reign for Prince Charles, who has vanished into space since.

Joshua's coronation confirmed his place among the heavyweight hierarchy. He is the golden goose for his promoter, Eddie Hearn, a boxer who appeals beyond the sport's boundaries and makes a fortune in the process.

"You could say [an Anthony Joshua fight generates] 13, 14, 15 million pounds," Hearn told Boxing News' John Dennen. That was before a multi-fight deal was signed with American broadcasters Showtime, too.

You may catch more flies with honey, but in boxing you tempt in more opponents with money.

Klitschko shouldn't need the cash, but he is ready to stare into the sun for perhaps one last time. Hearn told Sky Sports News HQ that a deal is close for Joshua and the Ukrainian to meet before the end of the year. "If we can make sure everything is right, which I hope it is, then I think we will get there," he said.

Fury, though, still casts a shadow over the situation. The WBA and WBO will have to decide what to do with their titles, considering their champion is out of action without a scheduled return date.

If the belts become vacant, Joshua-Klitschko suddenly becomes an even bigger deal.

The Planets

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Like the planets orbiting the sun at different speeds, heavyweight fighters are circling Joshua with their own schedules in mind.

Deontay Wilder is boxing's version of Jupiter, the biggest of the nine planets. The Americans have long had a history with heavyweights, although the well ran rather dry in recent years.

Wilder emerged as the standout performer during the drought, although he, like Fury, is currently out of action. Following his victory over Chris Arreola in July, The Bronze Bomber underwent surgery to repair injuries to his hand and bicep.

In an interview with Phil D Jay of World Boxing News, the WBC champion stated he won't fight again in 2016: "We would like to be back sometime early next year, as early as possible, so we will see how it goes."

However, the boxing universe has shifted since Wilder was last seen in action. His grand plan to unify all the titles still stands, just the identity of his potential opponents looks set to change with Fury's absence.

The American will also have an interim champion breathing down his neck.

Alexander Povetkin—who was due to face Wilder in Russia before failing a drugs test—will tackle Bermane Stiverne to decide who stands at the front of the queue to challenge for the WBC strap, per Isaac Robinson of Sky Sports.

However, Joshua is never too far from anyone's thoughts.

According to Robinson, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman is a little giddy at the prospect of a showdown between the Olympic champion and Wilder.

"The winner of Bermane Stiverne v Alexander Povetkin is supposed to fight Wilder when Wilder is ready," Sulaiman told Sky Sports. "So we would see how medical treatment is going and first we'll have the championship fight then we'll go from there, but I'm excited to see Joshua fight for the WBC title."

Joseph Parker is the up-and-coming planet. Consider him Mars, because everyone is still trying to work out exactly what he is and what to expect in the future.

The New Zealander is the mandatory challenger for Joshua's IBF crown but, just as it appeared the two would collide in the ring, Klitschko popped up to alter the course of their careers.

Hannah Peters/Getty Images

With the WBO belt about to become available again, Parker has his eyes on a new prize. He is in the No. 1 position with the organisation and, per Duncan Johnstone of Stuff.co.nz, his team have made "increased progress" over a deal to face unbeaten Mexican Andy Ruiz Jr. for the title before Christmas.

Parker potentially becoming a world champion doesn't scupper the idea of a fight with Joshua—it just makes it an even bigger deal, whenever it finally happens.

And who is this appearing in the distance? Why it's King Kong.

Luis Ortiz's career was stuck in neutral until he paid his way out of a contract with Golden Boy and signed up to join Hearn's Matchroom Boxing stable instead.

You don't require Dr. Brown and Marty McFly to use their DeLorean time machine to work out what's going to happen in the future here. As ESPN's Dan Rafael pointed out, Ortiz being drawn into Matchroom's gravitational pull "could pave the way" for a bout with Joshua down the line.

First, though, Ortiz needs to raise his profile in Britain. With that in mind, Hearn has quickly booked the Cuban for a fight with American Malik Scott on November 12.

Wilder, Parker, Ortiz, even Povetkin for that matter; that quartet all have other things to focus on right now, but they will also be keeping a close eye on Joshua's next move.

Heavyweight boxing is akin to a horoscope—when the planets align, you should expect good things to happen. The key word there is "when," rather than "if."

These fights simply have to happen at some stage.

The Comets

Leigh Dawney/Getty Images

A comet is an icy small body in the solar system that often goes unnoticed. However, when passing close to the sun, they heat up and suddenly become more visible to all.

The same principal works in relation to Joshua. If you work your way in and get close to him, you appear on the radar of a boxing fan. The interest in you heats up, but it can also disappear just as quickly if the opportunity passes you by.

There are three British fighters who are comets hoping to plot a collision course with Joshua: David Haye, David Price and Dillian Whyte.

Whyte, of course, has history with Joshua. The pair fought in their amateur days, with the former winning on points. When they met again in the pros, clashing in a much-hyped British title fight last December, the latter came out on top, albeit not without the odd moment of concern.

The rivalry continues to simmer, even if the two have gone their separate ways since.

Whyte eventually wants another turn on the Joshua merry-go-round. He told Tom Hopkinson of the Sunday People (h/t the Mirror): "I want a couple of building fights now and then by mid-next year I will be in a great position for that fight.

"I gave him [Joshua] his hardest fight yet and people want to see it."

He's right; Joshua had never been seriously challenged before he took on his old foe—and he hasn't since, either. In Round 2, the golden boy seemed in serious danger of being knocked off his lofty perch:

That loss still remains Whyte's most impressive performance to date. He's made a habit out of getting involved in verbal spats with opponents, albeit actions tend to speak louder than words in the long run.

Price, meanwhile, has also had plenty to say for himself of late.

He was once the great white hope for British heavyweights after a successful amateur career that concluded with a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics, only for his progress to be emphatically halted by three harrowing knockout losses.

Now working with a new trainer in Dave Coldwell, Price seems rejuvenated and ready to jump in at the deep end.

Fishing for the biggest fight of the lot, he threw out the bait by revealing to Sky Sports' Richard Damerell how he once levelled Joshua during a sparring session in 2011.

Joshua's response was to brand Price "irrelevant" in an interview with Gavin Glicksman of the Sun. He added: "I’ll say two things about what he’s said. Firstly, you always have respect in sparring. You should never tell your sparring stories—I don’t tell mine.

"Secondly, he’s a bit of an idiot because you should learn your mistakes in the gym. He’s had to learn his under the bright lights."

While Whyte and Price might manage to talk their way into a fight, Haye—never one afraid to offer a word or two—could hope his reputation is enough to clinch a great British showdown in 2017.

A former two-weight world champion, the Londoner's return after a lengthy layoff has been spectacular for one reason—the soft nature of the opposition.

Mark De Mori and Arnold Gjergjaj were not even good enough to be sparring partners, although Haye has at least blown the cobwebs away with two facile wins while waiting for a chance at a serious name.

He will be back in action on December 10, but he confirmed on Twitter it won't be against Joshua:

The Hayemaker remains an intriguing option, though. That non-performance against Klitschko in 2011 lingers in the back of the memory, and he may be 35 with a creaking body that has broken down before, but power is the last thing to leave a fighter. The heavy-handed Haye boasts an 87 per cent KO ratio.

His new trainer, Shane McGuigan, told Dennen of Boxing News how Haye could be Joshua's kryptonite: "There’s nobody you can really prepare for David, unless you spar cruisers that have got really good head movement and are awkward. It’s interesting—big hooks, quick, I think he’s the most dangerous opponent out there for Joshua."

It remains to be seen if any of these comets get within range of Joshua. The problem with overexposure to the sun is you can end up getting badly burnt.

Still, heavyweights have to take a gamble every time they climb between the ropes. Any big man can produce a punch that can change the course of a bout in the blink of an eye.

Joshua is no certainty to remain the shining light in the division. Klitschko is a canny operator and, while Fury flummoxed him with head movement and feints, AJ isn't going to provide those kind of problems.

Gazing at the current heavyweight scene, though, it's clear Joshua's emergence as a superstar has only brightened other fighters' prospects in the division.

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