Anthony Joshua's manager names three potential opponents for upcoming Saudi Arabia showdown
British boxer Anthony Joshua's manager, Eddie Hearn, has revealed who he might fight next in the coming year.
In an interview with iFL TV, Hearn revealed three potential opponents for Joshua while also mentioning that his first fight of 2024 will be at a March event in Saudi Arabia.
IBF champion Filip Hrgovic is a frontrunner and recently featured on the Day of Reckoning card which was headlined by Joshua. He made short work of Mark de Mori with a first-round TKO win.
Chinese boxer Zhilei Zhang has held the WBO interim heavyweight title since April 2023 and is also a potential option. Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou is also an option after his impressive boxing debut against lineal champion Tyson Fury.
Check out Hearn's comments below (12:55):
Hearn also remarked on Joshua's latest win over Otto Wallin with a lot of confidence and optimism for the year to come. He said in the post-fight interview:
“He’s back... Ben Davison and the team told me this guy’s back. He’s destroying people in sparring, he’s punching so hard. I believe that Anthony Joshua is the best heavyweight in the world. It was a punch-perfect performance tonight. Otto Wallin is an excellent heavyweight and he absolutely dispatched him... With this mindset and with this team, I think he’s unbeatable. 2024 is going to be a massive year for him.”
Check out Hearn's comments below (5:35):
Lennox Lewis weighs in on Anthony Joshua's recent performance and the road ahead
Former three-time world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis weighed in on Anthony Joshua's emphatic performance against Otto Wallin.
Joshua headlined Day of Reckoning and forced Wallin to retire in the fifth round. Lewis stated that while it was a solid performance, Joshua has to prove himself against the likes of Tyson Fury and Zhieli Zhang.
Speaking on TNT Sports, Lewis said:
“I couldn’t really judge from this fight if he is back or not. He definitely looked good, [but] he did what he was supposed to do, go out there and take out a guy out like he has taken out in fights before. But there is still a long road ahead [for Joshua] and some hard fighters. And he’s still got to go up against Fury if that fight is made, I think that’s going to be a great fight for him. Zhang from China would be a great fight for him as well.”
Check out his comments below: