Anthony Joshua hinted Tyson Fury would be his preferred next opponent following his win over Otto Wallin Saturday.
The Brit stopped the Swede at the end of the fifth round in a dominant display in Saudi Arabia during the Day of Reckoning.
Following the win, Eddie Hearn suggested that Joshua will likely take on Filip Hrgovic for the vacant IBF heavyweight world title next.
But the 34-year-old may have other ideas as he was keen to face the Gypsy King in the ring when asked in his post-fight press conference.
‘I’ll 100 percent fight Tyson Fury,’ he said when asked by a reporter if he would prefer to take on Fury or Hrgovic next.
Anthony Joshua hinted Tyson Fury would be his preferred next opponent on Saturday
The Brit was asked if he would rather fight Fury or Filip Hrgovic following his win on Saturday
Filip Hrgovic made short work of his fight with Mark de Mori on Day of Reckoning undercard
But Joshua still insisted that he wasn’t trying to avoid a clash with Hrgovic, claiming that he’s willing to fight them both.
‘I’m not dodging Hrgovic by the way,’ he added. ‘I’ll fight Hrgovic as well.’
Joshua had been set for a lucrative clash with Deontay Wilder but the American failed to hold up his end of the bargain after falling at the hands of Joseph Parker, who won all 12 of the rounds of their heavyweight dual.
According to talkSPORT, Hearn confirmed that Wilder’s defeat had scuppered plans for the much-anticipated showdown, saying: ‘We signed for Wilder, he lost tonight. Maybe it’s a blessing because AJ wants to become a three-time heavyweight world champion. It’s going to be AJ vs Hrgovic for the world title.’
The head-spinning turn of events come amid Joshua’s comments after his win, where he appeared to hint that the rumored two-fight deal could in fact still happen.
‘I wasn’t watching,’ Joshua replied when asked how he reacted to Wilder’s loss. ‘I was just focusing on myself. I heard Deontay lost, so what?
‘He’ll be back. I’m going to take the higher ground, and I hope he comes back.’
Joshua went on to pose the question to the fans in attendance, to which he received a lukewarm response, which cast further doubt on the future of any fight between the pair.
Joshua stopped Otto Wallin at the end of the fifth round in a dominant display in Saudi Arabia
Hrgovic appeared on the undercard of the Day of Reckoning and made quick work of Mark de Mori, who he dispatched within a couple of minutes in Saudi Arabia.
The 31-year-old boasts an impressive 17-0 record, with 14 of his wins coming via knockout.
Meanwhile, Fury faces Oleksandr Usyk in an undisputed heavyweight world title clash on February 17.
Joshua could face the winner of Fury vs Usyk but with the pair having a rematch clause in place it could be a while before a potential bout materializes.
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