Anthony Joshua’s second loss to Oleksandr Usyk will upset his fans for a while. Joshua was struggling to regain respect after losing his heavyweight title to the Iranian last year.
To be fair, Joshua poured out his soul in the ring. There were times when the British boxer was in control of the match. But in the end, Usyk was too powerful for him. What’s next for the British heavyweight division?
Tyson Fury could come out of retirement
After successfully defending his WBO, WBA, IBO and IBF heavyweight belts, Usyk is the man to beat in the heavyweight division. He already know it. However, he made it clear that his next fight has to be against Tyson Fury.
Fury retired after a convincing victory over Dillian Whyte in April. But as you probably know, retirements don’t mean much in boxing. The gypsy king never vacated his WBC title.
In fact, he has already made it clear that he is interested in fighting Usyk. The only condition is that the matchmakers must break the bank for this fight to happen. A loss to the Ukrainian would make Tyson the undisputed king of heavyweight boxing. And this is a title that he has always wanted to have.
When will this fight happen? It’s about what both fighters want. That means matchmakers are probably already discussing terms while sportsbooks are setting odds. To find the best possible odds and to ensure you go to a reputable sportsbook, you can find unbiased reviews at time2play.com. Good reviews can help you find boxing bookmakers with competitive odds. In turn, this can maximize your betting winnings.
Joshua to recover fast
Despite the recent loss, Joshua remains one of the biggest names in British heavyweight boxing. Unless he decides to take a break from the sport, the 32-year-old will have plenty of offers in the coming months.
Joshua versus America’s Deontay Wilder has been in the making for over a year. It is a game that people want to see. But for this to happen, the Alabama native needs to defeat Robert Helenius in his next fight in october.
If Joshua decides to return to the ring this year, his best option would be to challenge Dillian Whyte in a rematch. Joshua won their first meeting by knockout.
Fellow Brit, Joe Joyce, is another option. Joyce is undefeated and is in line to fight whoever wins between Fury and Usyk. Of course, he could decide to compete for a title instead of facing Joshua.
In that case, Joshua could also set up a fight against Daniel Dubois. And if he wants to face a top 10 ranked fighter, he has options like Joseph Parker, Luis Ortiz or giving Andy Ruiz Jr a rematch.
Dillian Whyte considering a November fight
Heavyweight title contender Dillian Whyte has been on a break since losing to Tyson Fury earlier this year. This August, Whyte announced that he was ready for his next match.
As already mentioned, a rematch between Whyte and Joshua is on the cards. Matchmaker Eddie Hearn hopes the fight can happen as soon as the spring of next year.
However, Hearn believes that Joshua will need to win at least one big match before he is ready to face Whyte again. If that happens and he wins, Joshua will have made it easier to book a heavyweight title.
Whyte, thirty-four, is also hoping to book a rematch against Fury. He insists he was illegally pushed, which caused the loss. That might have been possible if Fury had lost to Joshua. But after his win in Saudi Arabia, Whyte is the least of his worries.
Joe Joyce will face Joseph Parker next
Almost every British heavyweight boxer wants a shot at Usyk next. For this to happen to the top ranked WBO fighter, Joe Joyce, he needs to defeat Joseph Parker this September.
Both Joyce and Parker have held the WBO title at the same time. Parker kept him in 2018 before losing to Joshua. Joyce is the current incumbent and hopes to maintain this status on August 20.
Joyce is the favorite to win the match. His previous victories against Daniel Dubois, Carlos Takam and Christian Hammer have earned him respect as a ruthless fighter.
That said, Parker is not a walkover. He recently teamed up with Fury to help him prepare for the upcoming fight. Parker is very confident in his abilities. In a recent interview, the former WBO champion promised to make Joyce give up his boxing career. Time will tell if this will happen.
Daniel Dubois targeting Whyte Next
After losing to Joyce in dramatic fashion, Daniel Dubois is eyeing a fight against Dillian Whyte. This follows his win over American Trevor Bryan earlier this year.
The regular WBA heavyweight champion is eyeing a fight that could help him advance his run to a unified title. He believes that fighting higher ranked opponents like Whyte will help him achieve that goal.
WBA title eliminator in October
Joe Joyce could be the current WBA heavyweight champion. But that doesn’t mean no one will come for him. This October, upcoming heavyweight Hughie Fury will take on Michael Hunter to determine who will challenge Joyce next.
The fight was scheduled for July. But it was rescheduled for October. Hughie, a cousin of Tyson Fury, is the favorite to win the next fight. He is 26-3 and last lost to Oleksandr Usyk.
Chisora vs. Tyson Fury
There is a small chance that Derek Chisora could get a rematch against Tyson Fury late next year. Fury is interested in the fight and hopes that he can help him warm up before facing Usyk.
Sadly, many boxing fans aren’t excited about a trilogy fight between Fury and Chisora. However, it is something that Fury wants, which means it could happen despite defeating him in both of his encounters.
Summary
News headlines have focused on AJ’s recent loss to Aleksandr Usyk in August. However, the British heavyweight boxing space has a lot to offer. Tyson Fury is interested in challenging Usyk. In the meantime, there are a handful of fighters who want to face Joshua next.
