Anthony Joshua next fight – points and fighters to consider

“It’ll be a real fight,” promises Eddie Hearn, when quizzed about the highly anticipated return for former two-time unified world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. Slated for April 1 (stop sniggering), AJ’s first contest since back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk, set against the backdrop of the latter negotiating an undisputed superfight with Tyson Fury, comes with certain expectations.

Joshua’s team have already pledged to bring in a “top 15” heavyweight, but a quick glance at the latest main sanctioning body rankings offers no guarantee of quality or even notoriety; the unsung likes of Valdyslaw Sirenko and Lenier Pero could feasibly be drafted in. Joshua’s unchanged status as one of the biggest draws in boxing, however, is far more reassuring. The man who routinely sells out stadia is hardly going to come back in front of 1,200 people at York Hall. He and Hearn will require a ‘name’ opponent, someone who can be built as a threat of sorts, but, with a big-money Dillian Whyte rematch waiting in the summer, no one too good (or expensive) and ideally a victim who can make Joshua look more like the formidable fighter of his prime.

In recent weeks, we have heard southpaws Otto Wallin (who Joshua met in the amateurs) and unbeaten but untested Demsey McKean touted as possible adversaries, but with the Olympic gold medallist unlikely to pursue a third Usyk fight anytime soon, what is the specific value in facing a left-hander, particularly one who could prove tricky? Wallin is a skilled fighter, has fought at a decent level and showed against Fury he can be tough and resilient under pressure; Joshua would start a heavy favourite but it would not be easy. McKean is another leftie, but has fought nowhere near Joshua’s level. His status as a Matchroom fighter would make the talks straightforward and his cost would likely be less than other options, but Demsey’s lack of experience and celebrity may constitute a harder sell.

Chris Arreola has also been mooted. The veteran would guarantee excitement for as long as the fight lasts, plus he’s both orthodox and predictable. He lost a landslide verdict to Joshua’s old nemesis Andy Ruiz last time out but dropped the favourite and had periods of success. Arreola also retains a semblance of name value, albeit more so across The Pond.

So who should it be, if not the names already mentioned? I’d suggest Filip Hrgovic if he wasn’t sitting pretty as the IBF mandatory contender. While that body has rescinded their call for negotiations between him and champion Usyk for now, Hrgovic remains in an advantageous position and would want huge money to risk that. Similarly, a grudge match with Jarrell Miller, the drug cheat who Joshua almost fought previously, would sell incredibly well, but it is unlikely the British Boxing Board of Control would allow that “Big Baby” to compete on UK shores.

Martin Bakole is highly ranked by all the major bodies and could be feasible. He is exciting to watch, known to a UK audience, has worked with Matchroom before and – while trainer/manager Billy Nelson may not thank me for saying this – probably wouldn’t require a huge purse. The Congolese fighter is undefeated since his sole setback to Michael Hunter, but Joshua may still look at that performance as a barometer of Bakole’s level and vulnerabilities.

Within the aforementioned parameters, Bakole should at least be considered alongside the likes of Wallin, Arreola and McKean. Whether fans consider that a “real fight” or not, perhaps we will get to find out.