Who is Anthony Joshua fighting next? Eddie Hearn reveals gives the latest update

Anthony Joshua's next fight will likely be with Dillian Whyte, according to Eddie Hearn.

'AJ' made his return last weekend in the U.K. against Jermaine Franklin. The fight provided the former champion with a bit of a fresh start. The bout was Joshua's first under new trainer Derrick James, and his first since his decision defeat to Oleksandr Usyk last August.

While the fight provided a fresh start for the British star, he didn't exactly get the dominant win he expected. '989 Assassin' provided a trickier opponent than Joshua expected heading in, as the two traded singular shots for 12 rounds. At the end of the contest, the former champion got the win by decision.

Following the victory, Anthony Joshua called out Tyson Fury. While a clash with 'The Gypsy King' is something that fans have wanted to see for years, that doesn't mean it will be next. According to Eddie Hearn, Joshua will likely face Dillian Whyte next.

The rematch is being targeted for July and will be the first time they share the ring since December 2015. In that outing, 'AJ' earned a seventh-round knockout win to win British heavyweight gold.

Eddie Hearn has confirmed that Dillian Whyte is the "frontrunner" to take on Anthony Joshua this July 🥊

👀 Who wins?

(Source: @TheVolumeSports)

#AnthonyJoshua #JoshuaWhyte2 #BoxingNews https://t.co/uW456cvDIa

Anthony Joshua next fight: Dillian Whyte blasts 'AJ'

Anthony Joshua's next fight against Dillian Whyte is already heating up.

For those that missed their December 2015 outing, the two had a fun build. Joshua and Whyte are polar opposites in terms of personality, which has naturally led to some bad blood between them. This is likely thanks to the bad blood that 'The Body Snatcher' has called for a rematch over the years.

While 'AJ' returned to the win column last weekend, it still wasn't the performance many fans were hoping out of the former champion. But if there's someone who can relate, it's Dillian Whyte. The Brit also faced Jermaine Franklin, defeating him by a controversial decision last year.

However, don't expect him to give Anthony Joshua any praise for struggling with the '989 Assassin'. In a recent interview with Sky Sports, Whyte blasted the former champion. He stated:

"Joshua didn't do anything spectacular. Every time he hit Franklin, Franklin would come back. When I would hit Franklin, I would back him up. I was still more aggressive, still threw those punches, and I did what I wanted to do in the rounds: I knocked him down and the referee didn't count the knock down. I don't know why people always give me more criticism."

See his comments in the video below:

🗣️ "Joshua didn't do anything spectacular."

Dillian Whyte says his fight against Jermaine Franklin was better than Anthony Joshua's 🥊 | #JoshuaFranklin https://t.co/HLSAHmShCv