ANTHONY JOSHUA may accept an interim fight next, with Oleksandr Usyk's rematch in doubt.
After Usyk's 12 round upset at Tottenham last September, the pair have been contracted for a second fight in 2015.
Anthony Joshua may accept an interim fight with Oleksandr Usyk's rematch in doubt.
The unbeaten champion at two-weight is currently fighting for Ukraine in the midst of the Russian invasion.
Eddie Hearn, promoter, said that Joshua 32-year-old Joshua can be matched up against someone if Usyk (34), is unavailable.
SunSport has six suitable candidates for the job.
Otto Wallin
If AJ wants to be busy, he will likely look for a southpaw opponent in order to best prepare him for Usyk.
Wallin's popularity is enough to help Joshua sell tickets, pay-per-views and even sponsorships. Tyson Fury was given 47 stitches by Wallin in 2019.
Dillian Whyte (33) deemed him a low-enough threat to face Fury last October, while the Brit had a guarantee shot at Fury (33)
Although it was canceled, Joshua had previously sparred and boxed lefty Wallin at the amateurs, giving him enough knowledge about the Swede.
Luis Ortiz
Although the Cuban was once considered the most dangerous southpaw in the division at one time, two losses to Deontay wilder seem to have had an impact on his popularity.
Ortiz, now 42 years old, recently defeated Charles Martin, 35 in January, but had to get off the ground to do so.
He has a huge name value and has a style similar to Usyk.
Joshua was close to fighting Ortiz in 2019, but Ortiz chose to fight Wilder instead.
Zhilei Zhang
The Chinese heavyweight, at 6ft 6in tall, is not as strong as Usyk, but is still a southpaw.
He has also been signed to Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom boxing stable, which makes negotiations easier.
Joshua and Zhang have a history that goes back to their amateur days. Zhang won in the quarter-finals at the 2012 London Olympics.
Zhang, 38, has never been defeated as a professional, but in February 2021 he drew to Jerry Forrest. This gave AJ the assurance that the task would not prove too risky.
Jerry Forrest
Joshua would be able to benefit from the expertise of the American mentioned above, even though he is not the most well-known.
Forrest, 33 years old, has been defeated by Jermaine Franklin (28), and Carlos Takam (41), in recent years.
His two most recent fights against Zhang and Michael Hunter, 33, were draws.
Joshua might expect a hard enough fight against Forrest, who has been stopped once before.
Joseph Parker
Although the New Zealander isn't a low-risk opponent or a southpaw, Joshua has responded to Parker by asking for a rematch.
AJ, who defeated him in 2018, said Behind The Gloves that he would fight Joseph Parker.
Do you know what it is?" It's a fight at end of the day. What do you want me do?
"I don’t give a damn ***, I’ll fight whoever, whenever it’s just a fight. Are you able to understand what I am trying to convey? "So yeah, I'll fight 100 percent."
Deontay Wilder
Joshua and Hearn might consider the Bronze Bomber before any rematch with Usyk.
The clash is a blockbuster box office hit because of their history, differences in styles and recent losses. It's arguably as big and as important as any Usyk movie.
Although the former WBC champ is still not certain if he will be retiring, it seems clear that he will return to big fights.
AJ and Wilder could easily sell out any arena or stadium anywhere in the world, and that would be their biggest fight to date.
