The heavyweight division could have two enormous world title fights next year. As fans know, Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko will meet in an April blockbuster in 2017, and after that, another, perhaps even bigger fight could take place.
Recently, WBC heavyweight ruler Deontay Wildeer said that “all being well” he will make his ring return in February and “get the winner of the Joshua and Klitschko fight next,” and yesterday, promoter Eddie Hearn told Sky Sports that he sees the unification fight happening soon enough – perhaps towards the end of next year.
Hearn, like the fans, wants to see this fight, seemingly a can’t-miss classic, but he reminds us how neither he nor Joshua is looking past the big fight with Klitschko.
“It won’t be long,’ that’s what I said to him. He said, ‘I know, I know,” Hearn said of his brief conversation with Wilder during last week’s WBC convention. “It’s a big fight, a wonderful fight, and could be for four belts. Towards the end of the year, I don’t see why not, or certainly early in 2018. They are two young lions, two competitors, and I think it’s important they meet. I think their styles will make a great fight.”
But if it’s not Wilder next for Joshua (assuming he beats former champ Klitschko of course; which is far from a foregone conclusion) it could be a mandatory defence against Kubrat Pulev. Pulev is next in line in the IBF rankings and Joshua could well have to accommodate the tough Bulgarian in 2017.
“He is the mandatory, so after this fight, we’ll [possibly] have to fight Kubrat Pulev and we’ll have to see if we do or do not,” Hearn explained. “Obviously, we want to keep the IBF championship, but we’ll have to deal with that after April 29.”
Obviously, fight fans would prefer to see that massive fight between Joshua and Wilder (and a great case can be made for either heavy-hitter winning that one) but either way, AJ is going to have one big year in 2017 – if he can beat former king Klitschko in the spring.