Dumsha Wijesinghe JadeTimes Staff
W.G.S.D.Wijesinghe is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Sports News
Anthony Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has confirmed that the heavyweight star will either face Daniel Dubois or Tyson Fury in his next bout. Joshua, 35, suffered his fourth career defeat in September when he was stopped by IBF world champion Dubois at Wembley Stadium.
Fury, who has long been linked to a blockbuster fight with Joshua, is set to face unified champion Oleksandr Usyk on 21 December after a previous loss to the Ukrainian in May.
Despite Joshua's recent knockout defeat, Hearn remains optimistic about his fighter's position. "It’s strange to say after a loss, but AJ is actually in a great position," Hearn told "Our next fight will be against Dubois or Fury no other opponents or warm up bouts are on the table."
Dubois, 27, dropped Joshua multiple times in front of a record setting British crowd of 96,000 before the fight was halted in the fifth round. While a rematch with Dubois has been tentatively set for 22 February in Saudi Arabia, Hearn noted that Joshua may require more time to prepare.
"AJ is eager for revenge, but timing is the key factor," Hearn explained. "For the rematch to happen in February, he would need to begin training camp soon. He’s had some physical niggles, so it’s a matter of whether he’ll be ready in time."
Joshua may also choose to wait for the outcome of Fury's rematch with Usyk, with Hearn suggesting that fighting Fury next summer could be the smarter move.
HIGH Dubois only for Fury to win his fight, missing the chance for the biggest fight in boxing," Hearn said. "Whether Fury wins or loses, we could still fight him next summer, but if he wins, AJ would be fighting for the world title."
