Joshua’s Next Opponent Revealed, Says Close Friend Derek Chisora
Anthony Joshua’s next opponent has been revealed by his close friend Derek Chisora, and it won’t be Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk.
After Joshua’s impressive knockout victory against Francis Ngannou last month, there was anticipation for a fight against either Fury or Usyk for the undisputed world titles. However, it seems that Joshua’s next bout will be against the winner of the upcoming Daniel Dubois and Filip Hrgovic fight, headlining a Wembley Stadium event later this year.
Chisora shared this information, stating, “He will fight the winner of Daniel Dubois and Hrgovic in Wembley. F*** it, I’ve got a big mouth. That’s the plan. It’s gonna be a sick, a little adventure for Turki Alalshikh to bring it back to London,” as reported by iFL TV.
The potential fight between Dubois and Hrgovic is expected to be part of the undercard for Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol’s undisputed clash in Saudi Arabia on June 1. This fight could even be for the IBF world title if Fury or Usyk are mandated to face their mandatory challenger, Hrgovic.
Additionally, there are rumors of a heavyweight showdown between Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang, both former opponents of Joseph Parker, on the same card.
Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, believes that if Fury defeats Usyk in their upcoming bout, a fight between Fury and Joshua will likely take place instead of a rematch with Usyk. However, Fury’s promoter Frank Warren insists that the two-fight undisputed deal will be respected, potentially delaying a Joshua vs Fury fight until March.
Despite Hearn’s praise for Joshua as the best heavyweight following his victory against Ngannou, Fury reminded everyone of Usyk’s victories over Joshua, stating, “I’m sure that Oleksandr Usyk will have something to say about that given he beat him twice.”
Fury emphasized that the real heavyweight boxing action will be between himself and Usyk for the undisputed championship, adding, “I had a s*** performance against Francis Ngannou, that’s what a boxer should have done with him, but if he fights next year it’ll be a different game.”
As the boxing world awaits these exciting matchups, stay tuned to TNT Sports for all the thrilling drama and top-notch action in 2024.