A photograph of Anthony Joshua and two-time English heavyweight titleholder John McDermott has gained considerable traction since it came. Fans and followers have been joining in droves to share their thoughts and views. Interestingly, a common theme clouded the overall tone of the comments. Most of the users had something or another to say about the first fight between McDermott and Tyson Fury.

Given the fact that British boxing is keenly looking forward to an all-English clash between ‘AJ’ and ‘The Gypsy King’ hopefully by next year, the snapshot seems to have gained more resonance with followers. Many expect Joshua to be back in the ring by September. He may face either Daniel Dubois, Zhilei Zhang, or, who knows, even Joseph Parker. McDermott, on the other hand, never went back to boxing after he won the vacant English heavyweight title for the second time in 2013.

John McDermott: Boxing history’s unfair victim?

Michael Benson’s tweet read, “Anthony Joshua with Tyson Fury’s former foe John McDermott today.” The post features a screen grab of ‘AJ’s Instagram story. It displayed both the former unified heavyweight champion and ‘Bad Bad John’, as McDermott was known in the ring, standing together with their hands raised. At the bottom-right of the photo, a business message appears.

On Tuesday, June 25, it will be the fourteenth anniversary of the rematch between John McDermott and Tyson Fury. ‘The Gypsy King’ won the bout via technical knockout in the 9th round. However, it is their first square-off, which took place nearly a year before the rematch, that still sparks a heated debate among fans.

On September 11, 2009, at Essex’s Brentwood Center, ‘Big Bad John’ entered the ring opposite Tyson Fury. They clashed for the latter’s English heavyweight title. Fury continued his unbeaten track and won the match with a six-point difference, 98-92. However, the way the referee, who was also the match’s lone judge, scored came under heavy criticism.

Noted boxing writer James Slater wrote at the time. “…first the quite disgusting scoring of O’Connor must be addressed. How on earth he had Fury winning by a whopping SIX points in what everyone else saw as a close fight that the more experienced McDermott deserved to win is beyond me…..For what it’s worth, I had McDermott winning by three points,” said Slater.

Injustice revisited

Though it’s been over a decade, the view doesn’t seem to have changed for many boxing diehards. Let’s check out what some of them had to say about the ‘AJ’-McDermott photo and, of course, the Fury fight.

Pointing at ‘Big Bad John’, this user called him the man who inflicted the first professional loss on Tyson Fury.

Then, sharing a similar opinion, the next user highlighted how many fans felt that John McDermott was the real winner when he clashed with ‘The Gypsy King’. The user nevertheless expressed satisfaction at finding the former heavyweight enjoying life in general.

Continuing with the prevailing opinion, the next fan went back in time, traveling to the first Tyson Fury-John McDermott fight. According to the fan, it was a victory unfairly stolen away from ‘Big Bad John’.

The skeptics ensured to keep the comment box roaring. Take, for instance, this follower. They seemingly took a dig, claiming that it won’t shock them at all if Anthony Joshua squares up against John McDermott.

Then a Tyson Fury fan also joined the party. According to them, ‘Big Bad John’ and ‘AJ’ might be the only two people who go around claiming they could beat Tyson Fury. But the reality is that neither of them could pull it off in the past, nor would they ever be able to do it in the future.

After losing the rematch to Tyson Fury, John McDermott continued for the next three years. On March 15, 2013, he once again became the English heavyweight champion. However, he never went for a title defense thereafter.

After that second-round KO win over Francis Ngannou, fans are eagerly looking forward to ‘AJ’s next move. According to Eddie Hearn, the former heavyweight champion might headline the September 21 Riyadh Season card at Wembley Stadium. As of now, Daniel Dubois appears as the frontrunner on the list of potential opponents. A win over Dubois will make Joshua the title holder for the third time. Additionally, he could be the first to challenge the winner of Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk II.

What’s your take on the reactions? Have you seen the Fury-McDermott 2009 match? If so, like many, do you also feel that ‘The Gypsy King’ was unjustifiably rewarded with a win?