Eddie Hearn has unveiled the anticipated return of Anthony Joshua to the boxing ring, strategizing a comeback for March.
Following consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk, Joshua showcased a commendable resurgence in 2023. He ended up securing three notable victories.
His most recent win came in December, headlining the Day of Reckoning card. Joshua ended up getting a compelling stoppage win over Otto Wallin.
A agreement for AJ and Deontay Wilder to square off inside the ring had been inked. This face-off was supposed to set up the much-anticipated confrontation between the two. However, Wilder’s defeat by Joseph Parker disrupted the pre-arranged plans.
Hearn reflected on the derailment of the Wilder matchup and outlined three potential opponents for an upcoming event in Saudi Arabia. He also firmly emphasized that the ultimate target remains a clash against the winner of the Tyson Fury versus Oleksandr Usyk bout.
Expressing the forthcoming events, Hearn told iFL TV: “Right now, we have three fights that were in discussions for they’re all big. And that doesn’t involve Deontay Wilder. Before March our aim, and we’ve discussed this, is to fight the winner of Fury versus Usyk. That is all we want to do.”
“Obviously there’s a [Filip] Hrgovic fight out there for the world heavyweight title; there’s a Francis Ngannou fight out there which would be absolutely colossal. There’s other heavyweights as well, the [Zhilei] Zhang fight possibly as well with Queensbury.”
Hrgovic showcased his dominance during the Day of Reckoning card, winning against Mark de Mori in the opening round. He has an undefeated record of 17 professional matches.
Moreover, Zhilei Zhang just had the greatest victory of his career in September. He ended up defeating Joe Joyce in their rematch.
The 40-year-old disclosed in December that he had talked with Joshua’s team and was in discussions to compete against him until the talks came to an indefinite standstill.
Also, Francis Ngannou is enjoying success in the professional boxing scene after making the switch from mixed martial arts to boxing.
The former UFC champion exceeded expectations in the face-off against the WBC champion Tyson Fury. He delivered a knockdown in the third round with a powerful left hook. However, the judges’ decision was controversial as Fury went on to win the match.