Eddie Hearn has confirmed that Anthony Joshua will now likely take on Filip Hrgovic for the vacant IBF heavyweight world title, following Deontay Wilder’s crushing defeat to Joseph Parker.
The British boxer laid down a marker against Otto Wallin at the Day of Reckoning, stopping the Swede at the end of the fifth round in a dominant display in Saudi Arabia.
Joshua and Wilder had been set for a lucrative clash but the American failed to hold up his end of the bargain after falling at the hands of Joseph Parker, who won all 12 of the rounds of their heavyweight dual.
According to talkSPORT, Hearn confirmed that Wilder’s defeat had scuppered plans for the much-anticipated showdown, saying: ‘We signed for Wilder, he lost tonight. Maybe it’s a blessing because AJ wants to become a three-time heavyweight world champion. It’s going to be AJ vs Hrgovic for the world title.’
The head-spinning turn of events come amid Joshua’s comments after his win, where he appeared to hint that the rumoured two-fight deal could in fact still happen.
Eddie Hearn has revealed who Anthony Joshua will next be fighting following Deontay Wilder’s shocking defeat to Joseph Parker
Anthony Joshua had earlier left the door open for the much-anticipated fight with Deontay Wilder
Deontay Wilder was comprehensively beaten by Joseph Parker, who won all 12 rounds of their heavyweight bout
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‘I wasn’t watching,’ Joshua replied when asked how he reacted to Wilder’s loss. ‘I was just focusing on myself. I heard Deontay lost, so what?
‘He’ll be back. I’m going to take the higher ground, and I hope he comes back.’
Joshua went on to pose the question to the fans in attendance, to which he received a lukewarm response, which cast further doubt on the future of any fight between the pair.
Hrgovic appeared on the undercard of the Day of Reckoning and made quick work of Mark de Mori, who he dispatched within a couple of minutes in Saudi Arabia.
Filip Hrgovic made short work of his fight with Mark de Mori on the undercard of the Day of Reckoning
Joshua claimed victory at the end of the fifth round as Otto Wallin’s corner threw in the towel
The 31-year-old boasts an impressive 17-0 record, with 14 of his wins coming via knockout.
As for the British fighter, his triumph secured a third consecutive win after suffering back-to-back defeats by Oleksandr Usyk.
The 34-year-old was aggressive from the beginning of the fight and towards the end of the fifth round, Joshua turned on the pressure on his Swedish opponent, who began to look jaded.
Wallin’s corner informed referee Steve Gray that the 33-year-old could not continue, with Joshua claiming the technical knockout victory, while ending his opponent’s six-match winning streak.
Speaking after the fight, Joshua could not escape questions on another much-anticipated bout, this time with Tyson Fury.
‘I’ll 100 per cent fight Tyson Fury,’ he said when asked whether he’d prefer to take on the Gypsy King or the Croatian next. ‘But I’m not dodging Hrgovic by the way, I’ll fight Fury as well.’
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