After one of the most impressive performances of his career — a win by finish over Otto Wallin after five rounds — Anthony Joshua's potential next moves are becoming apparent.
His promoter Eddie Hearn, the group managing director of Matchroom, told iFL TV recently that there are three opponents in consideration for the British boxer.
"Right now, we have three fights that were in discussions for they're all big," Hearn told IFL TV.
A tentative plan was to match Joshua with long-time rival Deontay Wilder, as they both boxed on the same show December 23 — the Day of Reckoning.
Though Joshua did his part, as he breezed past Wallin, Wilder slipped up against Joseph Parker which pushed the mega-fight into the distance.
The plan, now, Hearn said, "doesn't involve Deontay Wilder" but is one that, if they're successful in, can put them into another mega-fight against the winner of the mid-February battle between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury.
"Obviously there’s a Hrgovic fight out there for the world heavyweight title," said Hearn, who also suggested bouts against the former UFC champion Francis Ngannou — who shook up the world when he dropped Fury last year — or Zhilei Zhang, could materialize, too.
"There’s a Francis Ngannou fight out there which would be absolutely colossal. There’s other heavyweights as well," Hearn said, "the Zhang fight possibly as well with Queensbury."
Elsewhere, David Higgins, who represents Parker, told Sky Sports that the New Zealand fighter has done enough through the win over Wilder to warrant a second shot at Joshua, after falling short in 2018.
"Joseph has earned that fight [against Joshua] in my opinion and the Saudis would see merit in Parker against Anthony Joshua," Higgins said.
Higgins added that he does not anticipate that bout to take place next, but wanted media and fans to know Parker would "fight Joshua in a heartbeat."
He finished: "Everyone knows Joseph will fight him next but I am not sure that's an option. We'll obviously look at any option and see what comes forward."
Joshua, meanwhile, will likely fight in March.
