Joshua hopes to fight three times in 2024 (Picture: Getty)
Eddie Hearn has named Filip Hrgovic, Zhilei Zhang and Francis Ngannou as three possible opponents for Anthony Joshua in March.
Plans were in place for Joshua to fight Deontay Wilder in Saudi Arabia in March but that fight is now off the table for now following the American’s shock defeat to Joseph Parker in December.
Joshua eased past Otto Wallin on the same night and is likely to fight in Saudi again that month with three alternative opponents under discussion. Hrgovic is one option with the undefeated Croatian the mandatory challenger for the IBF heavyweight title with Joshua ranked no2.
Oleksandr Usyk is the current IBF champion heading into his undisputed title fight against Tyson Fury but is likely to be stripped of the belt should the two enter into a rematch later in the year.
Ngannou is another possibility, with the former UFC heavyweight champion firmly in the picture following his superb boxing debut against Fury last October.
Chinese heavyweight Zhang, who Joshua beat en route to winning a gold medal at London 2012, is also part of the picture following his two wins over Joe Joyce last year.
Hearn is eager for Joshua to eventually fight the winner of Fury vs Usyk. He told IFL TV: ‘Right now, we have three fights we are in discussions for. they are all big.
Joshua eased past Otto Wallin last month (Picture: Getty)
‘They don’t involve Wilder for March, our aim is to fight the Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk winner. There is the Hrgovic fight out there for the heavyweight title.
‘There is the Francis Ngannou fight which would be colossal. There is the Zhang fight possibly as well with Queensberry.
‘The things that AJ wants to do is be in massive fights, win the world heavyweight title, and fight Tyson Fury, or get another crack at Usyk. That’s what Ben [Davison] wants – another crack at Usyk. For me, obviously, I’d love the Fury fight.’
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Hearn continued: ‘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 going to be able to keep the belt? Do they have to let it go? There’s a lot of discussions.
‘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.
‘As I said, our conversations right now are about mapping out AJ’s next four or five fights … his 2024 and potentially the rest of his career.’
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The Deontay Wilder fight is off the table again.