Hard work pays well, and in the case of Anthony Joshua, it pays well, literally. His dismantling of Francis Ngannou has left him $50 million richer and puts him on the cusp of facing the winner of Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury next. But the picture is tangled up. Not all the roads lead to the undisputed crown station, and the British champion might have to make a choice.
The Saudis are eager to match up the best vs. best, and ‘AJ’ forms the cream of the heavyweight division, along with Fury and Usyk. The victor of Joshua vs. Ngannou was supposed to be fast-tracked to challenge the winner of Usyk and Fury. Joshua punched his way to the ticket, and now he awaits his title shot. It isn’t a fighter who he has to topple next, but time.
Anthony Joshua vs. time
Notably, Usyk and Fury’s undisputed title match, slated for May 18, has a rematch clause. Everyone understands, especially Joshua, that neither of the two will be available to fight until the end of the year. That leaves some time in the 34-year-old boxer’s hand, who sustained no damage from his two-round thumping of Ngannou.
Given Joshua’s recent activity in the ring, where he churned out four fights within a calendar year, you can expect him to enter the ring soon. If anything, the 28-3 record holder has realized the importance of staying active and not stretching the layoff period. Fights become difficult over a long period of inactivity. He has picked up victories against Jermaine Franklin, Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin, and most recently against Ngannou, slowly rebuilding himself and regaining his confidence steadily. The method is clear: be active, build up momentum, and plug the holes in the next fight.
Choice conundrum: interim title or an undisputed dream, and against whom?
The rumors of Joshua taking on Filip Hrgović have been brewing since last year. The Croatian boxer has defeated the likes of Zhilei Zhang and knocked out Mark de Mori in the very first round when he last stepped into the boxing ring in December. Therefore, the buzz and anticipation already surround the fight, and Eddie Hearn would be keen to make the fight with the IBF title on the line.
Moreover, Joshua will have the opportunity to become a world champion again, which can be a bargaining chip against the winner of Usyk and Fury when they sit down at the negotiation table. With Joseph Parker bagging the interim WBO title against ‘Big Bang’ on the same fateful night and Mahmoud Charr being the WBA regular champion, WBC is the only option left if he wants to go the interim route.
But that won’t be a lucrative option. Lastly, Joshua has the option to meet Deontay Wilder in the ring. It was a fight in the making for a long time. Despite the latter’s loss, Joshua has expressed his eagerness to fight him. The fight can be on cards but might hit a nag while matchmaking. While it’s unknown which path Joshua takes or who he fights next, we will see him soon in the squared circle. But we might have to wait for a while before we get the much-anticipated Fury vs. Joshua or a trilogy with Usyk.
