Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has announced that he is just days away from revealing his next opponent. While many speculate it will be fellow Brit Daniel Dubois, this has not been confirmed.
According to Sky Sports, Anthony Joshua is slated to fight at Wembley Stadium in September. Given Joshua’s immense popularity, he could likely fill the 90,000-seat venue if he selects a high-profile opponent.
The bout will be promoted by Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh, marking his entry into the British boxing market. Alalshikh is also promoting a unified super welterweight title fight between Terence Crawford and Israil Madrimov in Los Angeles on August 3, a move into the American market that has drawn criticism from Oscar De La Hoya.
Joshua has previously sold out Wembley Stadium twice for his world title wins over Wladimir Klitschko and Alexander Povetkin. The long-awaited clash with Deontay Wilder seems off the table following Wilder’s losses to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang. While Zhang was considered for a match against Joshua, his team confirmed no contact from Joshua’s camp.
Another potential opponent is former world champion Joseph Parker, who has revitalized his career and seeks a rematch after his 2018 decision loss to Joshua.
The IBF belt is currently held by Oleksandr Usyk. Although the IBF considered stripping him of the title before the fight between Filip Hrgovic and Daniel Dubois, Dubois’ win over the top-ranked contender has made the IBF more cautious about forcing Usyk’s hand.
There is a possibility the IBF will sanction the Joshua vs. Dubois fight as a world title match, but it’s more likely they will treat it as an eliminatory bout, with the winner being next in line for a title shot against Usyk or Tyson Fury.
Usyk’s recent hints about potentially stepping back down to cruiserweight could further complicate the heavyweight division’s dynamics. For now, the boxing world awaits further announcements.
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