Anthony Joshua has revealed that the negotiations for his subsequent struggle are “almost completed” for his September twenty first conflict at Wembley Stadium in London.
Potential Opponents: Dubois or Zhang?
Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) isn’t giving any hints about who may be standing throughout from him contained in the ring that night time, however the heavyweights operating for that match are Daniel Dubois and Zhilei Zhang.
AJ’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has been adamant that the IBF heavyweight title have to be at stake for Joshua to face Dubois.
That’s comprehensible as a result of it’s a dangerous struggle for Joshua, who turns 35 in October and hasn’t fought a tricky opponent since dropping to Oleksandr Usyk in 2022.
Hearn doesn’t wish to put Joshua in danger until he can choose up a bit of gold and the IBF belt is accessible for the Dubois conflict. If the title isn’t obtainable, Joshua would doubtless select Zhilei Zhang.
‘Huge Bang’ Zhang (27-2-1, 22 KOs) is coming off a formidable fifth-round knockout win over former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder on June 1st, and there could be loads of curiosity from followers in seeing if Joshua can stand as much as the highly effective southpaw’s punches.
Joseph Parker: A Darkish Horse Contender?
“Zhang deserves the chance primarily based on his performances, however so does Joseph Parker,” stated Gareth A. Davies to Boxing King Media about who ought to Anthony Joshua struggle on September twenty first at Wembley Stadium.
“Joseph Parker has simply as a lot proper to struggle Anthony Joshua as Zhilei Zhang does and as Daniel Dubois does. We would get the curve ball, and it may be Joseph Parker. AJ is a serious crossover star, and he’ll do 60,000 simply on his personal.”
Parker’s choice as Joshua’s subsequent opponent raises two main issues. The primary issues his boring preventing model, which has turn out to be very defensive since his knockout loss to Zhang.
Parker is that this period’s model of Jimmy Younger and Chris Byrd. The opposite drawback that may preserve Parker from getting the struggle in opposition to Joshua is that he already misplaced to him by a one-sided 12-round choice in a painfully boring struggle in 2018, and the followers who keep in mind that contest gained’t wish to see him trotted out as AJ’s opponent on September twenty first at Wembley Stadium.
“If Daniel Dubois fights Anthony Joshua, he’s bought to take it to him. He’s bought to be aggressive in that struggle. He can’t sit again. For my part, he’s bought to go from the off,” stated Gareth.
“He’s bought to take every thing he’s discovered within the Oleksandr Usyk struggle and within the Filip Hrgovic struggle and within the Jarrell Miller fighter and put all of them into motion on the similar time. He may upset the apple cart.”
Dubois has bought to take the struggle to Joshua as a result of if he hangs again, he’ll get speared to the pinnacle like Francis Ngannous and be knocked out rapidly. Joshua hates being pressured, and he tends to get nervous when somebody places it on him, like Andy Ruiz did of their first struggle.
“I see it as a 60-40 struggle for Joshua. Joshua in opposition to Daniel Dubois,” stated Gareth when requested who he believes would be the primary occasion on September twenty first at Wembley Stadium.
Practically completed my negotiations for my subsequent struggle! Feeling motivated. pic.twitter.com/6zDia30cIN
— Anthony Joshua (@anthonyjoshua) June 18, 2024
