By Daily Sports on August 6, 2017

  Eddie Hearn has mapped out a three fight plan for current IBF and WBA world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, which over the next twelve months which will see Joshua defending his belts in mandatory fights that have been ordered both governing bodies and then leaving the possibility of a “super-fight” next summer.

With the news of Wladimir Klitschko retirement from the fistic sport, it also put an end to any hopes of a rematch with Joshua after the pairs first enthralling encounter last April.

Joshua is now due to face his IBF mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev, who has been ranked #1 contender by the IBF for almost a year now but had agreed to step aside for the showdown with Klitschko to go ahead.

Both promotional parties are now looking at dates and venues for the fight to take place, October 28th in Millennium Stadium, Cardiff or November 11th in the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas are what they are working on.

To throw a spanner in the works the WBA called there mandatory just days ago and gave a 30-day window to finalize a deal which will see Luis Ortiz who is ranked #1 with the WBA with a shot at Joshua.

Hearn is confident a deal will be reached between both sides that will see Ortiz on the undercard of Joshua v Pulev and go on to face the winner. Hearn said in a recent interview “If Ortiz wants us to sign now, no problem. We are not going anywhere we will face him next”.

With everything going to plan Hearn believes that a Joshua v Ortiz fight could take next place February or March.

Although these could be two tricky mandatory fights for Joshua he will be a strong favourite entering both fights and will be expected to be victorious and retain his belts in the process. With this Hearn claims he can make a “mega-fight” next summer with current WBC champion Deontay Wilder which would be an enormous fight worldwide. Hearn said recently that “Joshua can’t wait to fight Wilder, and it won’t be long until he does”.

•Photo shows Anthony Joshua. 

Source Daily Sports

Posted August 6, 2017

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