Eddie Hearn Reveals Who Anthony Joshua Is Likely to Fight Next: “He’s Pleading For It”
Eddie Hearn and his fighter Anthony Joshua are carefully planning their next move.
It has been a rollercoaster few years for ‘AJ’, once the unified champion who was knocking all comers out but then took an upset loss to Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019.
He won his belts back in a rematch against Ruiz and, after some more straight forward wins, stepped in against Oleksandr Usyk. The Brit fell short in back to back fights to the man who went on to become undisputed champion earlier this year.
Joshua rebuilt again with knockout victories over Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou before coming up against new IBF champion Daniel Dubois in September.
That fight ended in disaster for Joshua, who was knocked down twice before being stopped in the fifth round by the in-form Dubois.
It was thought Joshua would take an immediate rematch, but his team has since revealed he won’t be ready for Dubois’ preferred date of February 22. Speaking to iFL TV Hearn has now said he could well still take that next.
“Yeah, I think ‘AJ’ might fight Dubois next. Physically, he’s not ready to go back into camp, he had a few niggles coming out of the fight, he would have to go into a February 22nd not 100%, to be honest. And he wants to do that.
It’s very difficult but when I get on a call and you’ve got Anthony Joshua pleading to let him fight on February 22nd and you’ve got his doctor and his physio saying you can physically start camp in three or four weeks and be 100. ‘Yeah but I can’t beat him, I don’t want to those the opportunity to rematch him.’ It’s like, if we get this wrong, you’re done.”
Hearn then said the team would take the time to get Joshua completely fit mentally and physically and reiterated who he will fight next.
“There are only really those two fights that are the focus, the rematch with Daniel Dubois, or the fight with Tyson Fury win or lose against Usyk.”
Either of those fights would be huge for British boxing, and a challenge for Joshua that Fury thinks is a step too far. In the meantime, Dubois is set to defend his belt in February with an opponent yet to be announced.