In 2021, Anthony Joshua lost claims to all his heavyweight titles after Oleksandr Usyk defeated him twice. Now, as the English fighter hopes to rebuild the lost glories of his career, his promoter, Eddie Hearn, is on the brink of getting him a titular fight. However, some impediments remain.

After a successful 20233 in which Anthony Joshua won all three times that he fought, Eddie Hearn is now chalking out a plan for AJ in 2024 that guarantees he gets a shot at the title. However, first on this list is the March 8 fight against the former UFC champion, Francis Nganou, as a part of the ongoing Riyadh season. While that fight will sure make headlines, the promoter-fighter duo has begun mapping their next moves, and next on the list seems to be a fight for the IBF title.

Anthony Joshua vs. who, next?

In a conversation with Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour, the British promoter outlined his next moves for AJ. Hearn hopes for AJ to get a title fight, specifically the IBF. Hearn noted, “You know, coming off the Wilder fight, he is in a wonderful position to go and fight for the IBF world; which we hope will happen after the Francis Ngannou fight.” However, if AJ loses to Ngannou, the fighter would be back to square one, losing claims to a title fight.

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The title that AJ is aiming for, the IBF world championship, is currently held by Oleksandr Usyk. The mandatory challenger, however, for the belt remains, the undefeated Croatian heavyweight, Filip Hrgovic. Going by what the promoter has to suggest, it seems like the next opponent for AJ, post the Ngannou fight is Filip Hrgovic.

For AJ vs. Hrgovic to go ahead, there is however, a massive fight that first needs to clear up: the high-stakes, undisputed clash between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury. 

Hrgovic is AJ’s ticket to a belt

On February 17th, the current IBF heavyweight champion, Usyk will face off against ‘Gypsy King’ to give the weight division its undisputed champion. However, in their agreement, a rematch clause finds its place, making sure that whoever loses the historic clash will have the option to invoke it. If a Usyk vs. Tyson rematch does happen, the IBF title will be stripped away from the holder, making Hrgovic the interim champion.

Right now, Swedish fighter Wallin holds the second position in the IBF rankings, while AJ finds himself in the third. However, his recent victory over Wallin is sure to bump up his numbers. Hearn explained these nuances to iFL TV. He elucidated, “A lot has to happen by March to make that possible with Hrgovic. Obviously, [Fury and] Usyk fight in the middle of February. Are they gonna be able to keep the belt? Do they have to let it go? Is Joshua just gonna replace Wallin in the rankings? There’s a lot of discussions.” 

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This suggests a summer showdown between his fighter and Hrgovic. Hearn added, “If that’s in play for March, that’s definitely a possibility. Maybe that’s a fight that, when everything plays out, could be one for the summer.” Anthony Joshua is the man of the hour in the heavyweight division. His next few fights hold the power to redefine how the class navigates in the coming future.

Who do you think would win between AJ and Hrgovic? Let us know in the comments section below.

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