Anthony Joshua is in line for the biggest fight of his career on November 26th.
Following Tyson Fury's withdrawal from his planned fight against Wladimir Klitschko for medical reasons – believed to be related to his mental health – opportunity has knocked for Anthony Joshua to take on one of the modern era's greatest heavyweights instead.
Joshua – the current IBF heavyweight champion – was expected to chase a unification fight with Fury for the WBA Super and WBO belts next year. However, with Fury likely to be stripped of his heavyweight belts following a year of inactivity, promoter Eddie Hearn believes the chance is there for AJ and Klitschko to fight for the soon-to-be vacant belts in November:
"This is a huge fight. I believe Klitschko against Joshua is a favourite for 26 November. This is a deal that would move very quickly. It has to, if we’re going to strike. I would like to get everything sewn up by the end of this week in terms of who Anthony Joshua is fighting next.
On Saturday, we reached out to Bernd Boente and, since then, we’ve had a couple of very positive conversations. I was with Anthony this morning in the gym. It’s the fight he really wants. If the WBA belt is on the line – which I believe it would be – the unification fight between Joshua and Klitschko [could be signed]. The deal’s got to be right, of course."
Klitschko was unbeaten in ten years at the top of the heavyweight division before Tyson Fury defeated him in historic circumstances last year. Since then, the rematch between Fury and Klitschko has been called off twice.
If this fight can be pulled off, it would be absolutely huge.
[via The Guardian]
