Boxing Updates: Eddie Hearn Lays Out 2024 Plan For Anthony Joshua

Ace promoter, Eddie Hearn, has made it his mission to get his fighter, Anthony Joshua, to the top of the heavyweight class. His efforts in this pursuit are aided by the spectacularly successful 2023 that the fighter has had.

After his career plummeted in the light of his losing his unified titles to Oleksandr Usyk a couple of years ago, the fighter-promoter duo undertook relentless efforts to get back on track. 2023 came shining through. In the three fights the Londoner undertook, he won all of them, sending a direct message to all his critics. With the dawn of 2024 here, his promoter, Eddie Hearn, envisions the same blueprint as the previous year. Will it be a successful gamble?

A Busy Calendar for Anthony Joshua

Michael Benson, the boxing insider, reported to his followers on X, that Hearn is hoping to get his fighter three fights this year, just like he did in 2023. Benson noted, “Eddie Hearn has stated that their plan is for Anthony Joshua to likely fight three times again in 2024 after doing exactly that in 2023.”

One among these fights is already on the cards. On March 8, the British fighter will face former UFC champion Francis Ngannou in a Riyadh clash. Benson’s revelation of a busy 2024 for AJ isn’t the first time the plan for the year has been revealed. Eddie Hearn had revealed plans for even before the year officially began.

Hearn is a man of plan and action

In a conversation with iFL TV, 44-year-old Hearn noted, “I think he’s gonna fight in March, then I guess he fights in like August/ September, so whether it’s three times in the calendar year or you know three times from March to March, something like that, you know what I mean?” “I would just say that it’s a great year. I think you know to fight three times a year as a heavyweight and one of the biggest names in the sport is a great achievement.” So what are these three fights that could potentially take the course?

He also cited other potential encounters that AJ could undertake this year. He explained, “There’s Hrgovic fight for the world heavyweight title.. there’s the Francis Ngannou fight which would be absolutely colossal.” “There’s the Zhang fight out there,” he added.

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With the path to a Francis Ngannou fight already paved, only Filip Hrgovic and Zhilei Zhang remain as the other two potential opponents on the list. Additionally, there are talks of Hearn wanting AJ to face the winner of the Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk fight. While AJ is currently focused on his upcoming bout against Ngannou, the opportunity to compete for the undisputed heavyweight title is not something he will be willing to pass up.

Which other fighter apart from these do you think AJ could face next? Let us know in the comments section below.

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