After stopping Otto Wallin in five rounds at ‘Day Of Reckoning’ in Saudi Arabia, fans want to know who Anthony Joshua’s next fight will be against. Read on to find out who ‘AJ’ could realistically fight next, and what Joshua’s options are moving forward in the heavyweight division.
What Next For Anthony Joshua?
After emphatically stopping Otto Wallin in the main event at ‘Day Of Reckoning’ in Saudi Arabia, here at SportsLens we are on hand to assess what could be next for Anthony Joshua.
Anthony Joshua’s next fight will of course be in 2024, but who will it be against? There are several names who have been discussed for ‘AJ’ next. As one of the biggest stars in world boxing, it comes as no surprise that fighters are queuing up to face the former two-time world heavyweight champion.
Joshua is the biggest name in the heavyweight division, alongside fellow Brit Tyson Fury. Fury is of course tied up with a fight against Oleksandr Usyk for all of the marbles on February 17th in Saudi Arabia. This means we are likely to see Joshua fight someone in the interim, before potentially taking on the winner of Fury vs Usyk later in 2024.
Unless Anthony Joshua’s next fight is against either Fury or Usyk, he will go into it as the overriding favourite with the best boxing betting sites. Is it any wonder? ‘AJ’ looked back to his best against Otto Wallin last time out, and has a potentially huge 2024 ahead of him as he aims to climb back to the summit of the heavyweight division.
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Anthony Joshua Next Fight – Potential Opponents
Below are the three most realistic options for Anthony Joshua next. 2024 could well see ‘AJ’ become world heavyweight champion for a third time, but some mega-fights with the likes of Francis Ngannou or the Fury vs Usyk winner could be on the cards too.
Anthony Joshua vs Filip Hrgovic?
The most obvious and most likely fight next for Anthony Joshua is against the undefeated Croatian heavyweight Filip Hrgovic. Hrgovic fought on the Joshua vs Wallin undercard at ‘Day Of Reckoning’, extending his unbeaten record to 17-0 in the process.
Hrgovic is ranked #1 with the IBF, with Joshua now ranked at #2. This doesn’t mean ‘El Animal’ is a better fighter than Joshua, it just means with the IBF sanctioning body, they have him ranked higher. This fight could well be on the cards, if the world title belts become fragmented after Fury vs Usyk.
Joshua has discussed his ambitions at becoming a three-time heavyweight champion of the world, and a fight with Hrgovic makes total sense for March/April time in 2024. Joshua would likely go into the bout as a huge favourite with UK bookmakers to defeat the Croatian fighter.
Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou?
Another potential option for Anthony Joshua next is a huge fight with former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. Ngannou of course had that compelling fight with Tyson Fury in October, knocking ‘The Gypsy King’ down before losing a narrow split decision.
This fight would be absolutely massive. It could even go to Africa, with both Francis Ngannou and Joshua of course having African roots. Ngannou is likely a huge draw now following his performance against Fury, and a fight with ‘AJ’, regardless of location, is well and truly a super-fight.
‘AJ’ To Fight Winner Of Fury vs Usyk?
Perhaps the least likely option for Anthony Joshua’s next fight is simply waiting to see what happens with Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk. The pair are scheduled to meet in Saudi Arabia on February 17th, in an undisputed fight for all of the marbles.
Yes, Joshua could well face the Fury vs Usyk winner later on in 2024, but it is unlikely that this comes next. This is for the simple reason that ‘AJ’ wants to stay as active as possible, rather than waiting in the wings to see the rest of the heavyweight division play out.
If Joshua is to face the winner of Fury vs Usyk, he would likely have to wait until at least July/August time. This is unlikely, given Joshua’s activity levels in 2023 – three fights in nine months. However, it isn’t totally beyond the realms of possibility.
Other Potential Fights For ‘AJ’
Other notable mentions to Joseph Parker, who Joshua has of course beaten previously and Agit Kabayel. Joshua vs Parker 2 could well happen at some stage in 2024 now too, given how well Parker performed against Deontay Wilder.
Speaking of ‘The Bronze Bomber’, that fight looks completely dead in the water now following his lacklustre performance against the New Zealander. Joshua vs Wilder had been talked about for the best part of seven years, but that fight looks increasingly unlikely now given Wilder’s recent performance.
Agit Kabayel is of course another option, but not as likely as the ones previously mentioned. He was a huge underdog with sports betting apps to defeat Arslanbek Makhmudov, but did so via fourth round KO at ;Day Of Reckoning’. The German heavyweight is 24-0 and is another potential option next for ‘AJ’.
Be sure to claim the various boxing betting offers and boxing free bets available on the SportsLens site before Joshua’s next fight. Also check out the boxing live streaming sites that will air Joshua’s fights going forward.
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