Newly crowned IBF heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua is already back in training after his explosive yet easy 2nd-round stoppage of Charles Martin. A.J doesn’t quite know who he will be fighting in his first defence as champion, but he is taking no shortcuts in training as he gets ready for his maiden defence. And his promoter Eddie Hearn, in speaking with Sky Sports today, said the short-list now consists of three likely names – all of them American fighters.
“The IBF put out there new rankings today and we have to box someone in the top-15 of those rankings,” the Matchroom boss said. “We expect from those rankings the likes of Bermane Stiverne, Eric Molina, Dominic Breazeale. There has been big interest from US broadcasters. I think a US opponent makes sense. These are real guys and he wants a real fight.”
Joshua, who is expected to take huge and big-money fights against fellow Brits Tyson Fury and David Haye soon, perhaps next year, needs to get a couple of experience-earning defences under his belt first. Of the three names Hearn is now listing, Stiverne comes across as an obvious candidate when it comes to a fighter being able to take Joshua a few rounds, maybe more. Molina is also an experienced pro, even if he doesn’t have the former champ tag that Stiverne has.
Breazeale, who was knocked down by Amir Mansour before he rallied to get a TKO win, could be a risky fight for Joshua; even if the tall and unbeaten contender, a former Olympian like Joshua, is the least experienced fighter of the three Hearn mentioned today. Whoever Joshua fights in his maiden title defence, the likely date is June 25th, the probable venue The O2 in London.
Tyson Fury is the real heavyweight champion, but until he beats Wladimir Klitschko for a second time, it seems the casual fans will continue to talk most about Joshua; as unfair as that may be. But one day soon, the two talented big men from the UK will meet in a massive clash. That’s the hope, anyway.
With all due respect to Stiverne, Molina and Breazeale, none of these good fighters look likely to be capable of derailing the plans for that all-British blockbuster.