The British boxer is on a quest to become a three-weight world champion and has been training under his new coach, Derrick James. This comes after losing his unified title to Oleksandr Usyk. Despite the long-anticipated bout with Deontay Wilder being postponed once more, this time until around April next year, promoter Eddie Hearn revealed to Boxing Social three potential names in consideration for Joshua's upcoming fights.
Otto Wallin gained recognition for taking Tyson Fury the full distance in a bout where, despite ultimately losing, he posed a significant threat to the British boxer. Wallin caused trouble with a 47-stitch cut above Fury's eye, prompting speculation that the match could have been called in Wallin's favor.
Recently, Wallin secured a victory over former cruiserweight champion Murat Gassiev, earning him the second spot in the IBF heavyweight rankings. The top spot is currently held by Filip Hrgovic, who has long been the mandatory challenger for a title shot.
With the upcoming undisputed bout between Fury and Usyk, the sanctioning body has mandated that the winner must promptly face Hrgovic. Given the rematch clause between Fury and Usyk, it is anticipated that Hrgovic will compete for the vacant title, ideally against Joshua, according to Hearn.
Another contender is Agit Kabayel, a 31-year-old undefeated fighter from Germany who has been mentioned in major fights more often than he has participated in them. Despite having 23 wins, Kabayel has been relatively inactive, fighting only once per year since 2020. His most recent victory was over Agron Smakici in April.
The December 23 card mentioned by Hearn aligns with comments from rival promoter Frank Warren, providing Joshua with just six weeks to prepare.
Article Credit= Boxing Social
