In an interview, Derek Chisora revealed Joshua’s plans.
Later this year, Anthony Joshua may fight in his hometown of Philadelphia in an attempt to build on his four-fight winning streak that ended with back-to-back defeats by undisputed world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. That’s according to his close friend Derek Chisora, who seems to have revealed the fighter’s ambitions in a recent interview. The fighter is from Watford.
Following his clinical stoppage of Francis Ngannou last month, Joshua made no secret of his intention to capture the title of world champion a third time. ‘AJ’ won’t be getting a shot at either opponent anytime soon, though, as Usyk is scheduled to face rival heavyweight champion Tyson Fury twice before the year ends. The 34-year-old appears to be on track for a big fight at Wembley Stadium, possibly involving a world title, but he will have to wait for the battles he really wants.
The next battle between Anthony Joshua and ‘leaked’ details.Expected to challenge for the vacant WBA title is AJ.
Turki Alalshikh, the chief of boxing in Saudi Arabia, has emerged as a significant figure in the sport in recent years following several notable bouts held in his nation, including Joshua’s previous two fights. But now, Alalshikh is planning to organize a major event within the borders of the United Kingdom.
Even though Usyk and Fury’s first undisputed unification fight takes place in May and the WBA heavyweight title is on the line, the organization has already stated that they plan to take the title away from the winner unless they accept to defend against mandatory challenger Filip Hrgovic in their subsequent fight. It appears almost inevitable that the WBA title will be empty by summer because Fury and Usyk are legally required to fight again right away.
As part of the Queensberry Vs. Matchroom 5 vs. 5 competition in Saudi Arabia in June, Hrgovic is most likely to face Daniel Dubois. The third and fourth-ranked heavyweight contenders in the WBA rankings will square off in that fight, and the vacant title may be at stake.
“I have a big mouth,” the heavyweight contender laughs as Derek Chisora “reveals” Anthony Joshua’s upcoming match.
In a recent interview with iFLTV, Chisora seemed to reveal the exact role that WBA-ranked number two contender Anthony Joshua will play in the title later this year.
“[Joshua] will compete at Wembley against the winner of Daniel Dubois and [Filip] Hrgovic. I have a huge mouth, f*** it. That’s the strategy. To bring it back to London is going to be a weird little journey for Alalshikh.”
Although it appears unlikely that Chisora has permission to divulge Joshua’s plans, if his forecast comes true, Joshua will be fighting in the national stadium for the first time since stopping Alexander Povetkin in 2018. If ‘AJ’ prevails in the planned fight between Hrgovic and Dubois, it will boost his eligibility for a potential matchup with Usyk or Fury right away. The WBA belt might also be a valuable negotiating tool.