Anthony Joshua’s next opponent will be determined by the results of the June 1 “5v5” card between Matchroom Boxing and Queensberry Promotions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
With this September battle, Joshua—who has fought twice in Saudi Arabia—will make his way back to England.
There will be two significant heavyweight matchups on the “5v5” event. Zhilei Zhang 26-2-1 (21), a former WBC champion, will square off against Deontay Wilder 43-3-1 (42) and Filip Hrgovic 17-0 (14) against Daniel Dubois 20-2 (19).
Former two-time unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is 28-3 (25), according to His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, would choose one of the two fighters to win based on who he thinks puts on the finest performance.
You may be sure that I’ll be 100% prepared whenever they let me know when a date is set. The event will take place at Wembley Stadium in London, according to Watford, England’s Joshua, 34, who spoke with talkSPORT.
What I’m being told is this:. Let’s assume that they mean what they say because they typically keep their word. September 20 or 21, Wembley.
“In Saudi Arabia, the 5 vs. 5 card was introduced on June 1. There are two matches to watch: Zhilei Zhang vs. Deontay Wilder and Filip Hrgovic versus Daniel Dubois.
Under the condition that one of those appears to be the finest, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh told me, ‘I want you to fight [him].'”
“He says, ‘I want people to look back at your record and say that you took on the best in the future.'” “Now you’re speaking my language,” I remarked.
“So, I think I’m going to be fighting one of those people out of that pool. He and I both have the same priorities, as do the fans.
Joshua’s last two fights, which ended in knockouts against Francis Ngannou and Otto Wallin, have fostered a close working relationship with His Excellency.
In three weeks, WBC champion Tyson Fury (34-0-1) and WBA, WBO, IBF, and Ring Magazine champion Oleksandr Usyk (21-0) will square off for the undisputed heavyweight title in Saudi Arabia’s next major fight.
Joshua knows he might have to wait until next year to fulfill his ambition of facing 35-year-old British opponent Tyson Fury.
Joshua stated, “He’s working on it. I know the fans want that big fight with Tyson Fury, and he’s trying to deliver it.”
“Unfortunately, Fury has commitments with Oleksandr Usyk, so in order to increase my chances of facing Tyson Fury, I must remain disciplined, focused, and relentless in my defeating of opponents.”
“I pray that he does his thing, and I pray that Zhang does his thing,” Joshua continued. I’m willing to accept whichever His Excellency requests and whichever one looks excellent.
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