Anthony Joshua has got himself back into world title contention and now his next fight has been teased and it could have huge implications for the boxing world.
Joshua suffered devastating back-to-back losses to the imperious and now unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and 2022.
He has rebuilt since then however with four fights in a little over the last 12 months. The first was a points win over Jermaine Franklin, then came three knockouts against Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou to get him back to his explosive best.
It is now expected he will eventually get a shot at Usyk or Tyson Fury after they first meet for the undisputed titles on May 18 – a contest which many people are predicting but with both men getting equal backing – or else fight for the IBF belt that is expected to become vacant immediately after that fight has happened.
Saudi’s Entertainment Minister and the man who has made all these big fights happen, Turki Alalshikh, has recently posted a picture of him and Joshua on Instagram with some telling words, suggesting that Joshua may not have to wait for the rematch between Fury and Usyk.
“We are waiting for the result of Usyk vs Fury.”
Joshua would love a third go at Usyk as he plots revenge and a route to becoming the only other three-time world heavyweight champion alongside Muhammad Ali, but many would prefer to see him take on fellow Brit Fury for the first time.