RIYADH: Fresh from his statement victory against Otto Wallin at “Day of Reckoning” in Saudi Arabia last month, Anthony Joshua looks set to return to Riyadh in March.
Speaking to iFL TV at the weekend, his promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing confirmed the 34-year-old British heavyweight’s return.
Joshua’s dominant performance against Wallin has been seen by many boxing fans and analysts as a return to form after several underwhelming wins.
Against the Swedish fighter, Joshua dictated the course of the fight, going on to clinically break Wallin down to get the knockout – all the while, barely breaking a sweat.
With his third win in a row, Joshua is now in the driving seat to take part in several exciting fights.
Croatian boxer Filip Hrgovic maintained his No. 1 spot in the IBF rankings following a second-round knockout of Australian fighter Mark De Mori, also at “Day of Reckoning.”
With that belt becoming vacant after the Tyson Fury/Oleksandr Usyk match, Joshua’s No. 2 ranking puts him in a perfect position to fight for the IBF World Championship. AJ has claimed he wants to be a three-time world champion, and this could provide a clear path to the title.
Francis Ngannou, the No. 10 WBC ranked heavyweight, is also circling Joshua, recently tweeting “#NgannouJoshua.” From a box-office perspective, such a match-up would make a lot of sense.
Mixed martial arts expert Ngannou has become a big-name attraction with huge box-office draw, having previously headlined “Battle of The Baddest” in the Kingdom.
Both have huge fanbases, both deliver knockout finishes, and both have had great experiences in Riyadh in the past few months.
Chinese boxer Zhilei Zhang, the WBO Interim Champion, is also a likely opponent having defended his title against Joe Joyce in September. Zhang previously lost to Joshua in the 2012 Olympic Games in London and will be hungry to avenge his amateur loss on the professional stage.
It is a terrific narrative with a title at stake that could put either fighter further in line for a world title opportunity.
Whoever the opponent, Joshua looks set to close out Riyadh Season with a bang.
