Anthony Joshua has changed one of the names on his three-opponent shortlist for his fight following his clash with Jermaine Franklin.
Former two-time heavyweight champion Joshua, 33, looks to put himself back in title contention with a win against Franklin at The O2 arena on Saturday. Joshua's consecutive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk mean he hasn't won a fight since knocking out Kubrat Pulev in December 2020, but a win against Franklin could set up a showdown against a fellow heavyweight star.
Joshua has removed Dillian Whyte as a potential opponent after his fight with Franklin, replacing his former opponent with the unbeaten Joe Joyce. "If you were to ask me what my ambitions are, one is to fight for the heavyweight championship of the world, the second is my motivation to make money and the third is to fight Deontay Wilder, Tyson Fury and Joe Joyce," he said.
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'AJ' admitted that the idea of fighting Wilder is still one that excites him, adding: "It is a fight that interests me, it's a fight that's interested me for a long time but it has never materialised, just like the Fury fight. I've got to focus on this Jermaine Franklin guy, he's got his own ambitions and I've got my own ambitions as well."
The shortlist has changed just a week after Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn revealed three potential fights for 'AJ' if he gets past Franklin. Noticeably absent is a clash with Whyte, who beat Joshua when they battles in the amateurs in 2009. Joshua would avenge his loss in their professional rematch in 2012 but it seems we won't be getting the trilogy fight this year despite Hearn's comments.
“Joshua has three options if he beats Franklin – Deontay Wilder, Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte," Hearn told talkSPORT last week. "People say, ‘you throw Dillian Whyte in there because that’s the one that’s going to happen’, I mean that’s the easiest fight to make and I don’t think there is any disgrace, after the Usyk fights, going Franklin, Dillian Whyte, Tyson Fury or Deontay Wilder. That’s a hell of a 2023.”
A fight between WBC titleholder Fury and Joshua has been proposed for years but has collapsed on three different occasions. Hearn admitted that contracts for the all-British affair could be organised next week amid Fury's undisputed title clash with Usyk recently falling through. Joshua agreed with his promoter Hearn and thinks now is the right time for his fight, admitting that "it's now or never" for the highly-anticipated fight to take place.
