ANTHONY Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has vowed that the Nigerian-British boxer will be involved in some big fights this year, including against Tyson Fury or Deontay Wilder.
Joshua has not taken to the ring since his split-decision defeat to Oleksandr Usyk last summer and is looking to relaunch himself as an elite fighter.
Hearn claimed Joshua was almost ready to announce his first opponent for this year — with his next fight set for April — and said he was planning three fights against credible opponents.
He claimed that Wilder — who is set to face Andy Ruiz next — and Fury were realistic targets for the end of the year.
“I truly believe Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury are nailed on for 2023,” Hearn told DAZN. “They have to be because AJ isn’t interested in having three or four-nothing fights. He’ll listen to his training team and take their advice.
‘There’s an open line of communication with [Deontay Wilder’s co-manager] Shelly Finkel. He’s [Wilder] going to fight Andy Ruiz. That fight has been ordered, and AJ is going to come back in the first week of April.
“I’m not ruling out [that] fight #2 of the year could be Deontay Wilder, but we’ve got a plan. This guy is one of the biggest stars in boxing. This guy has so much more to give to the heavyweight division, but this is also a very important moment that we must get right.
“Those lines of communication are open with Deontay Wilder, and we know it’s a huge fight. We know that fight does massive numbers in the UK, U.S, and Middle East. It doesn’t really matter, and that’s the fight.
“He wants to be in the biggest fights possible, and he’s proved that his whole career.”
Joshua was due to face fellow Briton and WBC heavyweight champion Fury in December before negotiations collapsed in October over deadlines.
As for Wilder, Joshua has been keen to fight the American since they were both world champions between 2016 and 2020.
Wilder’s team claimed they once sent a contract to Joshua’s representatives, but could not follow up on their claim that the Nigerian would make $50m from the fight.
Hearn also hinted at a rematch against Joshua’s old rival Dillian Whyte in the summer, saying an epic clash against Wilder or Fury could be his reward should he win that.
“The plan now is to rebuild him to become a three-time heavyweight world champion, and the trainer will want to take the appropriate steps to do that,” he added.
“It’s all very well being brave, listening to Twitter, going out, and fighting Deontay Wilder [next] and doing this and doing that, but there has to be a plan, a smart plan.
“A smart plan is he wants to return against a top 15 guy in a credible fight and return in the summer against probably Dillian Whyte and then move forward against Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury in a mega-fight in the ultimate 2023.”
