When will heavyweight star Anthony Joshua be back in the ring? One thing is clear: the hoped-for superfight against Deontay Wilder isn’t coming any time soon. Meanwhile, a German brings himself into the conversation as an “AJ” opponent.
“I think the Wilder fight will realistically not take place before March, April at the latest,” said Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn on “iFLTV”. But his protégé wanted to fight earlier. “He wants to go back to camp and has asked us to try to organize a fight for him in December. We’ll see whether that spills over into January.”
Hearn and Wilder manager Shelly Finkel have been trying to put together a boxing blockbuster between the former world champions for months. For a long time it looked as if the fight could take place in Saudi Arabia at the end of the year or at the beginning of 2024, but the plans fell through – apparently because the Saudi offer did not meet the boxers’ expectations.
Hearn reported that he had been on the phone with Joshua all week. The former champion wants to get back into the ring as quickly as possible. “I think he will fight in December or January,” said the Brit. There is a lot going on given the “IBF situation”.
Joshua and Hearn are considering a fight for the IBF title if it becomes vacant after the fight between unbeaten world champions Tyson Fury (WBC) and Oleksandr Usyk (WBA/WBO/IBF).
According to “ESPN”, Fury and Usyk agreed to a rematch clause in the contract for their fight for all world championship belts, which obliges them to a direct rematch. However, the IBF has ordered that the undisputed world champion must immediately defend the red belt against the number one in its ranking. Otherwise the champion will be stripped of his title.
In the IBF rankings, Filip Hrgovic (Croatia) and Otto Wallin (Sweden) are in first and second place, Joshua is third. This means: If the winner of Fury vs. Usyk gives up the IBF title, Hrgovic and Wallin would have to fight for the vacant crown according to the association statutes, Jsohau would be left out.
Boxing: Agit Kabayel wants to hit the big pots
Hearn did not provide any information about a possible opponent for Joshua’s next fight. As such, Agit Kabayel came into play. The European champion from Bochum was on duty as a TV commentator at the weekend and let it be known that he wanted a fight against Joshua in December.
Kabayel won the European title in March in a dramatic wrestling match against Croatian Agron Smakici. The 31-year-old has not fought a fight since then.