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Although there wasn’t much fanfare when Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn announced Anthony Joshua would be facing America’s Jermaine Franklin – the magnitude of this weekend’s fight between the pair at the O2 Arena cannot be overstated.
If Franklin manages to cause the upset, similarly to Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019, he becomes a superstar overnight. Whereas for the Brit, if he can justify those who bet on Anthony Joshua and batter Franklin from pillar to post as he is expected to do, there are a number of tantalising match-ups out there for the 33-year-old to pursue.
With that in mind, read on as we take a look at three potential opponents the man affectionately known as ‘AJ’ could face if he is to get the job done at the O2 this Saturday.
Dillian Whyte
In what is the most likely of the three scenarios, a rematch between Joshua and London foe Dillian Whyte is being targeted for later this year. When they first met back in 2015, it was billed as a grudge match between two men who had a rivalry dating back to their amateur days. The disdain they had for one another was palpable on fight night, as a near mass brawl erupted in the ring at the conclusion of the first round.
It would ultimately be Joshua who would leave with his hand raised, after stopping Whyte in the seventh round with a beautiful uppercut that rendered his opponent virtually unconscious. Would we see a similar result in the second fight? Very hard to say. They have both improved enormously since that fight six-and-a-half years ago, and it’s worth mentioning that Whyte hurt Joshua with a thudding left hook in the second round of their meeting – proving that his power could play a factor in a rematch.
Both Joshua and Whyte are at somewhat of a crossroads in their careers. Joshua lost back-to-back unification bouts against Oleksandr Usyk most recently, while Whyte was completely outclassed by Tyson Fury in his first major step up in competition at Wembley Stadium last April. The ‘Bodysnatcher’s’ last outing against Franklin was also less than stellar, and despite getting the win, there are many fans and pundits who still believe the American did enough to keep his undefeated record.
Nevertheless, given the history that exists between Joshua and Whyte and where they are respectively in their careers – while it may not be at the top of boxing fans’ wish list, there will still be plenty of people tuning in if it were to go ahead.
Tyson Fury
With an undisputed clash between Tyson Fury and Usyk all but dead in the water, it opens up the slight possibility that we could see Joshua take on the ‘Gypsy King’ later this year. It’s a match-up British boxing fans have been starved of for a number of years – and when their negotiations for a fight collapsed in 2021 – many gave up any hope of seeing the two best British heavyweights of this generation face off.
However, there’s still an appetite for it amongst the public, and given the incredible amount of money both fighters stand to make in the UK or the Middle East – a Joshua and Fury showdown is never off the table.
Deontay Wilder
When both Joshua and former WBC champion Deontay Wilder boasted undefeated records, a match-up between the two was being dubbed the most highly anticipated heavyweight clash since Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis.
However, with Wilder losing consecutive title fights against Fury and Joshua succumbing to the brilliance of Usyk, both men are now beltless and searching for a big fight to reshape their legacies. They could be each other’s big fight, and with both standing over at least six-feet-and-six-inches in height and boasting otherworldly power – it would arguably be the most intriguing out of the three match-ups outlined in this article.
Similarly to a fight with Fury, there’s the promotional headaches and contractual issues that come when working “across the street”, however, if the business side is able to be ironed out and Joshua and Wilder were to meet – expect fireworks.
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