Anthony Joshua’s Sure Shot Title Fight Halted in Hopes of Facing Usyk vs. Fury Winner

The biggest goal for Anthony Joshua must be to face the winner of Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk. The fight will produce the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999. However, that potential fight seems to have halted any other ambitious fights for Joshua, especially the IBF vacant title fight against Filip Hrgovic.

Earlier this month, Anthony Joshua took on former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in a twelve-round crossover event in Saudi Arabia. Through a dominant show of performance, Joshua took down Ngannou in the second round of their highly talked about clash. So, Matchroom Boxing head Eddie Hearn has detailed the next steps for Joshua during a recent interview.

Eddie Hearn has confidence in HE Turki Alalshikh

Hearn emphasized that no decision regarding Joshua’s next fight will be made until after the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk bout on May 18 determines a winner. “No decision will be made, in my opinion, before the Fury-Usyk fight. Because I’m still a firm believer that if Tyson Fury wins the fight, His Excellency will do everything he can, regardless of the two-fight deal, to make what is the biggest fight in the history of the sport,” said Hearn. 

Hearn addressed that a fight against IBF number one contender Filip Hrgovic could have been a possibility, but they are waiting to see if a fight against Fury can be secured first if Fury wins. “There’s a potential Hrgovic fight there for the IBF world title… But I think it’s unlikely we’ll make a definitive decision before we see who is victorious on May 18th,” said Hearn. 

Also Read: Anthony Joshua Reveals Lesson Learned From Francis Ngannou Fight

It’s worth mentioning that because of Fury and Usyk’s rematch clause, both have agreed that whoever wins will vacate the title because of IBF’s rules in honoring mandatory commitments. Meanwhile, Hrgovic is hoping Joshua would accept the fight against him for the IBF title.

Filip Hrgovic wants to fight Anthony Joshua 

Knowing he and Joshua are the two top contenders for Usyk’s soon-to-be-vacated IBF title, he is hoping for a fight against Joshua. Hrgovic attained the top contender spot for the title after his victory over Zhilei Zhang in August 2022. While speaking to iFL TV, the Croatian fighter said, “Of course I want to fight him. He’s a star, and he’ll decide.”

He further added, “If that fight doesn’t happen, it’s not about me. I want to fight him. I’m ready. When the IBF becomes vacant, and it’ll become after Fury-Usyk, me and him are next in the line.” 

Not knowing about Hearn’s claims, Hrgovic guessed why the fight may not happen. “There’s no reason for it not to happen. Only if he doesn’t want that,” said Hrgovic.

With Eddie Hearn confirming there will be no fights for Anthony Joshua before Usyk-Tyson produces a winner, Hrgovic’s fight against AJ will currently be on hold. Meanwhile, Joshua is praying to god that Fury manages to win the fight, so he can get another shot at being the unified world champion in an All-Britsih heavyweight clash. However, only time will tell what happens next! Who do you think will win? Fury or Usyk – let us know in the comments below!

Read More: Eddie Hearn Remains Adamant on Anthony Joshua’s “Best Heavyweight in the World” Remarks