Two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has risen to the peripheries of a world title bid once again but has a target on his back as a result. However, the man who he may challenge later this year has issued a warning, despite having a fight scheduled in four weeks’ time.
Joshua has bounced back from below par displays against Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius with emphatic knockout wins over Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou since partnering up with Ben Davison.
Now, ‘AJ’ seems poised for an opportunity to become just the fifth three-time heavyweight champion, expected to face the winner of Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk or Filip Hrgovic vs. Daniel Dubois later this year.
Whilst an unified title bout against Fury or Usyk would likely be Joshua’s first choice, the rematch clause in their contract means that he would likely have to wait until 2025 for the opportunity.
Whereas, the IBF world title is expected to become vacant shortly after Fury-Usyk, with Hrgovic and Dubois set to go toe-to-toe for the vacant strap when they meet on June 1st.
With Wembley supposedly booked for September, fans anticipate that Joshua will face the victor of Hrgovic-Dubois before taking on the Fury-Usyk winner after their two fights with one another, in what would likely be a shot at the undisputed throne – a well-documented goal of Anthony Joshua’s.
However, the undefeated Croatian – Hrgovic, has sent out a vicious message to Joshua and any of his fans whom believe he represents an easy route to a world title, outlining his goals to ‘smash’ the Briton in front of his own fans, in an interview with Queensberry.
“Look, I will smash Dubois and then in September I am coming to Wembley to fight Joshua. Do you remember when the Croatian football team came? They smashed your national team. I am going to do that, again. I will come to Wembley, in front of 80,000 British people and I am going to smash Joshua. That is my plan.”
Hrgovic-Dubois will take place on June 1st on the ‘Matchroom versus Queensberry’ Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol undercard in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Although, Deontay Wilder also fights on that same card and the allure of a contest between he and Joshua could derail any title plans, should he manage to get back into the winning column against hard-hitting southpaw, Zhilei Zhang.
All will be revealed during the next coming months, with Joshua forced to wait on the sidelines until the battle between Fury and Usyk and the future of the IBF world title is discovered, as Dubois seeks to upset the odds against ‘El Animal’.
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