The announcement of Anthony Joshua’s next opponent might take place during a press conference scheduled for Tuesday, June 26th.
His promoter Eddie Hearn spoke to Boxing News yesterday at the Johnny Fisher-Alen Babic launch press conference and revealed the next foe for ‘AJ’ is likely to come from one of three names.
Hearn mentioned that Zhilei Zhang, Joseph Parker, and Daniel Dubois are all included in the list.
AJ’s main objective is to reclaim the heavyweight title, and if a chance arises to compete for the IBF title, Daniel Dubois would undoubtedly be a top contender for that bout.
Last weekend, Dubois secured a strong position for himself by stopping the previously undefeated Filip Hrgovic. Hrgovic entered the fight with confidence, but understood that a loss would cost him his status as the IBF mandatory challenger. Currently, Dubois is awaiting the decision of the governing body regarding Oleksandr Usyk. Usyk, the undisputed heavyweight champion, has requested that his title be up for grabs in his rematch with Tyson Fury on December 21. If this request is not granted, Dubois would either compete for a vacant title or be promoted from interim champion to full champion.
Hearn confirmed that Dubois, Zhang, and Parker are definitely the front-runners, although he was unwilling to provide a specific list of names.
After witnessing Daniel’s victory over Hrgovic at the Queensberry vs. Matchroom 5 vs. 5 event, Hearn commented, “Daniel is evolving into a formidable and hazardous fighter.”
“That victory was truly monumental – enduring powerful blows, persistently advancing, and ultimately shattering his opponent’s spirit. Although the match was halted due to cuts, it seemed evident that he was well on his path to a legitimate stoppage.”
Zhang has made a strong comeback in the heavyweight division by defeating Deontay Wilder, putting himself back in contention. Meanwhile, Joseph Parker has emerged victorious against both Zhang and Wilder. Despite this, Parker has expressed a desire for a rematch with former unified champion Joshua, as he aims to avenge his loss from March 2018.
