sportbible logo

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Anthony Joshua's Three-Man Shortlist For His Next Fight Has Been Revealed

Anthony Joshua's Three-Man Shortlist For His Next Fight Has Been Revealed

Eddie Hearn said a Tyson Fury fight would interest him, but Anthony Joshua could find himself dealing with a mandatory challenger first.

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz

Anthony Joshua might be getting ready for his upcoming US debut against Andy Ruiz Jr at Madison Square Garden in New York City, but his next fight is already being planned out.

That's according to promoter Eddie Hearn, who said that while he would be open to the idea of the 29-year-old Brit fighting against Tyson Fury, there are three other fighters already on their shortlist to deal with first.

"A little bit, yeah [in regards to fighting Fury], we have to take care of our mandatories as well," he told iFL TV.

"WBO mandatory, IBF mandatory. The WBO haven't ruled yet, but we have a WBO mandatory due, it could be [Oleksandr Usyk].

"We have an IBF mandatory due in [Kubrat] Pulev. We've got maybe even a Dillian Whyte fight we just jump into in November.

"If Joshua's not on his game, he won't beat Ruiz and then we're rematching Ruiz!"

PA

While AJ has admitted that he would want a unification match against Deontay Wilder, it would be very much unlikely that would take place in 2019.

After all, the 33-year-old Alabama-born boxer, who knocked out Dominic Breazeale in a stunning first-round victory earlier this month, recently revealed that he would be having a rematch with Luis Ortiz.

Wilder's decision to snub a unification match with AJ came under heavy criticism from Hearn.

PA

"Joshua goes on ESPN and says, 'I'll sit down with you after my fight and we'll do a deal,'" he explained.

"And he goes, 'S**t. How can we look okay out of this? Oh, yeah, I've signed a deal to fight Ortiz, everybody.'

"What, that morning? It's embarrassing -- that's what it is...

"Stop talking about Wilder, he's a waste of time. They don't want the fight, he's been talked into doing something else.

"He's not his own boss, he don't make his own decisions, let him do what he's been talked into.

"When he becomes available, after he's fought Ortiz, after he's fought [Adam] Kownacki, then I guess we'll try again."

Who should AJ fight next?

Let us know in the comments.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: AJ, Kubrat Pulev, Tyson Fury, Boxing News, Andy Ruiz Jr, Anthony Joshua, Boxing, Dillian Whyte, Oleksandr Usyk, Eddie Hearn, Deontay Wilder