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Anthony Joshua has responded to Eddie Hearn’s suggestion that the winner of Dillian Whyte vs Jermaine Franklin will be the frontrunners for his comeback next year. The Watford powerhouse said he would “100 per cent” fight Whyte again after their 2015 home clash.
That night, Joshua stopped Whyte in the seventh round but was injured for the first time in his professional career when ‘The Body Snatcher’ unleashed a vicious left hook that went through AJ’s mind. Since then, both men have continued to establish themselves as world-class professionals and there is a definite desire for a second showing.
Whyte will face Franklin on November 26 at OVO Wembley Stadium and according to Hearn, this could be a key fight in determining Joshua’s next step. While traveling in Dubai promoting Dmitry Bivol vs Gilberto Ramirez, Hearn met with Joshua to discuss his potential fight.
“I can’t tell AJ the fight he’s had [accept]…He just wants to fight everybody,” Hearn told the assembled reporters.
In response to Hearn’s comments, Joshua told iFL TV: “You know what? You better talk to me because I can tell it from the horse’s mouth. It may be, but don’t hold me to the cross of what I have said.
“The game is changing forever. It’s whatever Dilian wants to do, too. Will I fight Dilian again? Yes, 100%.”
Joshua is expected to return to action at the beginning of 2023, after suffering a back-to-back defeat at the hands of heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. If Joshua chooses to face the winner of Whyte and Franklin then March or April is understood to be the target date.
You can also check past dates with Filip Hrgovic, Otto Wallin, or Zhang Zhilei. Assuming all goes well in AJ’s next fight, Hearn has hinted at a long-awaited rematch with Deontay Wilder at the end of the year.
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