Who are the oddsmakers picking as the best bet for Anthony Joshua's next fight? Odds for Deontay Wilder, Tyson Fury, and more
Anthony Joshua may have booked himself one of the biggest fights of his career, following his seventh-round KO victory over Robert Helenius last weekend.
Joshua was asked to make a statement by boxing fans and did so when he landed a devastating right hand to knock Helenius down to the canvas and out cold. Following his victory, Joshua called for Deontay Wilder next, which 'AJ's manager, Eddie Hearn, also confirmed was the plan.
The win for Joshua meant he has now won his last two fights following back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk. The 33-year-old is seeking the path back to becoming a heavyweight world champ and believes Wilder is the right step in that direction.
Despite the call for the 'Bronze Bomber' next, the world of boxing is unpredictable and it is no guarantee. SportsLens.com has instead opted to predict the odds for Anthony Joshua's next opponent.
Unsurprisingly Wilder sits at the top spot as the favorite at 1-2, with Tyson Fury coming in in second place at 7-1. Fury, however, is currently booked to face MMA star Francis Ngannou in October.
Check out the full predicted odds of Anthony Joshua's potential opponents here:
- Deontay Wilder @ 1/2
- Tyson Fury @ 7/1
- Dillian Whyte @ 10/1
- Zhilei Zang @ 12/1
- Joe Joyce @ 14/1
- Oleksandr Usyk @ 20/1
- Filip Hrgovic @ 20/1
- Francis Ngannou @ 50/1
- Any Other Fighter @ 8/1
Eddie Hearn backs Anthony Joshua as the heavyweight carrying the division
Mathroom Boxing's Eddie Hearn has doubled down on Anthony Joshua's claims that he is currently carrying the heavyweight division.
Following his KO win over Robert Helenius, 'AJ' stood in the ring and stated that he's doing the heavy lifting in regards to boxing's heavyweights. The comment is a dig at Tyson Fury, who is set to face former UFC star Francis Ngannou in October.
Following Joshua's victory, Eddie Hearn echoed his fighter's comments. Hearn argued that Joshua's resume and activity back his statement before taking a dig at Fury himself. He said:
"I mean, when you look at the heavyweight division right now, [Oleksandr] Usyk is an outstanding fighter. Is he overly entertaining in the ring? He's a genius but, you know. Tyson Fury... is now fighting a guy from MMA who's never had a boxing match before, so he's not really doing a lot for the heavyweight division, is he?
"Deontay Wilder hasn't boxed for 18 months. Andy Ruiz hasn't boxed for a year... So, [Joshua] is active, he's had two heavyweight fights in the space of what, four months? And he wants to fight Deontay Wilder. I think this is a good run for AJ. It's definitely the most active we've ever seen him," said Eddie Hearn.
Catch Hearn's comments (15:55):