Anthony Joshua delivered a near punch perfect performance against Otto Wallin on the Day of Reckoning bill in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on December 23.
Joshua (27-3, 24 KOs) caused Wallin to retire on his stool following a five-round battering in a two-part main event involving Deontay Wilder and Joseph Parker with a view of seeing Joshua Vs Wilder early next year. However, Parker upset the applecart with a wide unanimous decision win.
Wilder is still being considered as a future foe for the British heavyweight, but would likely need to bounce back with a good victory first. Instead, here are five other bouts the Londoner could have next.
5. Joseph Parker
Parker’s unexpected victory over Deontay Wilder ensures the former WBO world champion gets a space on the list. Joshua unified three heavyweight titles when the pair faced off at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff in 2018. It is one of the less exciting fights on Joshua’s resume, as the former Olympic champion won by wide margins on the scorecards. However, nearly five years have passed since that night in the Welsh capital, offering fight fans two vastly more experienced fighters in a potential rematch.
4. Francis Ngannou
The former UFC heavyweight world champion shocked the boxing world with his performance against Tyson Fury in October. The MMA superstar was considered unlucky to be on the wrong end of a split decision defeat after flooring the WBC heavyweight world champion in the third round. Joshua’s team had reportedly explored the crossover matchup with Ngannou ahead of the Fury bout, too. But the Cameroonian gained legitimacy with his razor thin decision loss in Saudi Arabia and crossover fans would be intrigued to see how the UFC exile would fare in another boxing match.
3. Daniel Dubois
Dubois is a wildcard. With rival promoters Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn now working together in Saudi Arabia, an all-British contest between any Matchroom and Queensberry fighters is more realistic than before. Dubois put in a career-best performance, stopping disgraced American Jarell Miller late in the 12th round of the Day of Reckoning bill. A Joshua-Dubois fight would be welcomed by boxing fans and the fact that both Hearn and Warren guide each of the two men makes the contest a potential marketing dream.
2. Zhilei Zhang
The colossus Chinese heavyweight put his name firmly in the mix for a world title shot after scoring two impressive knockouts over British hopeful Joe Joyce. Zhang’s lone career defeat came against Filip Hrgovic in Saudi Arabia on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk-Joshua II in a fight many believed Zhang won. It’s a bout that has been spoken of before by Zhang’s and Joshua’s representatives and the 80,000 seater Bird Nest’s Stadium was touted as a potential venue but it’s clear Saudi Arabia would pay extravagant purses to make these big fights happen. A duel between Joshua and Zhang would whet the appetite of any boxing fan.
1. Filip Hrgovic
The undefeated Croat is the current mandatory for Oleksandr Usyk’s IBF heavyweight world title. However, that title is likely to be vacated after Fury and Usyk collide on February 17. Joshua’s win against Otto Wallin propels him into second place in the IBF rankings, almost guaranteeing that pair will meet for a vacant world title once Fury-Usyk is settled.
