Hearn: Joshua’s Wallin Win May Set Up A Hrgovic Title Fight

Eddie Hearn outlined his plans for Anthony Joshua moving forward provided that he overcomes Otto Wallin on December 23rd, 2023, in Saudi Arabia.
Joshua’s aim is to become a three-time world champion and hit the heights that had taken him to the position of a two-time unified heavyweight champion. Joshua has not looked the same since his loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. and then Oleksandr Usyk, as changes in his training set-up have been reflective of that. The decision to hire Derrick James was seen as a positive one, given the trainers insistence on boxing fundamentals. However, for the Wallin fight, Joshua has been seen training with Ben Davidson as another change suggests that the Brit is looking to find that extra percentage to take him to the top. And if Joshua does get through Wallin, Hearn outlined the next steps.
Hearn On AJ
“If the belts become available early next year, then it would be number one against number two. If AJ beats Wallin, he puts himself in line to fight Hrgvovic for the vacant title,” Hearn stated
Those comments do make sense in that it will put Joshua in a position to fight for the world title again. And given that Filip Hrgovic s also contracted to Matchroom Boxing, making a fight would not be too difficult. Despite this being the case, it is not what the fanbase may want to hear. The calls for a Deontay Wilder fight have been growing once again, which is why a fight with Hrgvovic would not go down well. AJ’s wins over Jermaine Franklin, and Robert Helenius were criticized. Therefore, seeing another fight without the big names would not sit well with fans. However, Hearn’s prior comments have confirmed that he is looking to put Joshua in a position for a world title regardless of how that comes about.
AJ’s Aspirations
“This [Wallin] is a tough fight. We saw (Wallin) against Tyson Fury, he’s a good southpaw and we have seen something different from AJ (Joshua). I think the best chapter is still to write for AJ. He changed the face of Saudi boxing and this is a challenge he wants to take. He wants to be heavyweight champion again and I think this will be a destructive performance from him,” Hearn said
Nevertheless, a fight with Wilder could also play out if the WBC decide to make it as a title eliminator. That would then allow the winner to take on Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk for the belts. As such, Joshua could have more than one avenue to secure that world title again, which is vital given that he is entering into the latter part of his career. But in order to even consider that, Joshua must beat Wallin. The latter is a credible opponent, having given Tyson Fury one of his most toughest fights. And since he is a southpaw, that will add another challenging element. With that being said, Joshua has it all to do come fight night. Time will tell how it all plays out.
‘Find all the latest boxing news and MMA breaking updates on boxingnews.com’