Eddie Hearn has appeared to confirm where Anthony Joshua will be fighting next after he suffered his first successive defeats this year.
The former unified heavyweight champion is looking to reignite a career that has done so much for the British scene.
Having been conclusively put out of the immediate title picture courtesy of an unsuccessful rematch with Oleksandr Usyk, ‘AJ’ finds himself with it all to do should he want to become a three-time world champion.
Whilst Hearn and the team are remaining tight-lipped about the opponent, and may not have even settled on it themselves yet, the promoter recently let slip the venue for his fighter’s return to International Boxing News.
“Lot’s going on, Liverpool coming up, O2 again with AJ. Much to do.”
Whilst not officially announced, London’s O2 Arena seems a good place for Joshua to begin his rebuild.
From 2015 to 2016, Joshua had a run of five shows there, including his victory over Dillian Whyte for the British Heavyweight belt and a quick knockout of ‘Prince’ Charles Martin to win his first world title.
Since then – with a few exceptions – ‘AJ’ has drawn stadium crowds. He’s boxed at Wembley twice, facing Wladimir Klitschko and Alexander Povetkin, as well as gracing Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, Madison Square Garden, The Jeddah Superdome, and Tottenham Hotspurs’ new ground.
Whilst the mention of the venue doesn’t seem huge on the surface of it, it perhaps can rule out a few opponents. A Deontay Wilder fight, for example, would likely demand stadium capacity.
On a Whyte rematch, Hearn is on record saying ‘this time it wouldn’t be at the O2 it would be at Wembley.’
Of course, plans change and opponents become available, so whilst this looks to tentatively be the case, there’s no saying it’s set in stone.