Who Is Anthony Joshua’s Next Possible Opponent?

Anthony Joshua’s next fight appears to be in limbo, as the Brit looks desperately for an opponent in August. 

Joshua has been rebuilding since his back-to-back losses against Oleksandr Usyk. And as part of that process, he has hired a new trainer in the form of Derrick James.

Their only fight together has been when ‘AJ’ beat Jermaine Franklin in April via a unanimous decision. 

Thereafter, the attention turned towards who he could fight next as Dillian Whyte’s name came to the fore.

The latter was seen as a good opponent in preparation for what could be a super fight with Deontay Wilder in December in Saudi Arabia. 

However, according to boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, negotiations for a potential rematch between Joshua and Whyte in August have hit a roadblock due to a disagreement over money. 

Although Joshua beat Whyte back in 2015, the latter is still seen as a credible opponent. That is why Hearn’s following comments have thrown another curveball. 

“We’ve made an offer, they felt that offer was unacceptable. “We may be too far out on the money to make that fight. We’re looking at two other opponents for August 12.

“It’s not that it has to be Dillian – that’s the fight AJ wanted. The issue is the money Dillian wants, the money AJ wants.

“I don’t think we can get to the number Dillian wants for that fight in all honesty. I think Dillian wants the fight, I think AJ wants the fight, but we may well run out of time,” Hearn

Therefore, given the current stalemate, other options are being considered for Joshua’s next fight.

In case the negotiations for the rematch between Joshua and Whyte fall through, there’s another potential opponent ready to take Whyte’s place. 

Filip Hrgovic, who is currently the IBF mandatory challenger to Usyk, has expressed his willingness to face the Brit. 

It’s worth noting that both Hrgovic and Joshua are promoted by Hearn, which could make the process of setting up the fight smoother. 

And by the looks of it, he is confident in beating Joshua. 

“I’ll destroy him. I think I’ll destroy him. If he comes in this shape [like he did against Franklin] I’ll destroy him. I expected more [against Franklin].

“I thought he was going to knock him out, but he was too cautious and didn’t let his hands go,” Hrgovic

Aside from Hrgovic, there is an outside chance that Joshua could face Tyson Fury. The latter’s team had made a 60-40 offer to face Joshua in September.

And given that Fury is struggling to find an opponent, a fight with Joshua could make sense. 

At the same time, however, a loss to Fury would all but end any hopes of a fight with Wilder in Saudi which is why that is unlikely to occur. 

And yet, that is something that Hearn has not ruled out. 

“But if we can’t get the Wilder fight done, then we need a much bigger fight on August 12 or we look at Tyson Fury in September,” Hearn 

Joshua’s next steps are crucial if he wants to get back to being a heavyweight champion once again. So a defeat next time out is the last thing he needs, which is why his next fight is so important.

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