Along with Tyson Fury, Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk is the main man of the Heavyweight division. The first holds the WBC belt and the latter the WBA, WBO, and IBF titles. Nowadays is impossible for Usyk to focus on anything else than his country. Due to this complicated situation, former Champion Anthony Joshua is thinking about a clash that in the past could be one of the most anticipated of the division, against a fearsome puncher. 

Joshua has the legal right to become Oleksandr Usyk's rival when he is available and ready to return to the ring. But until then, the British contender needs to be active, that is why he is willing to have an interim fight soon. 

AJ is a two-time Heavyweight Champion, looking to sit on the throne once more. At 32 years old, he boasts a resumé of 24-2-0 with 22 KOs and has performed a brilliant career so far having faced and beaten Dillian Whyte, Dominic Breazeale, Wladimir Klitschko, Alexander Povetkin, and Andy Ruiz. 

Anthony Joshua's new target: a former World Champion and ferocious fighter

Oleksandr Usyk defeated Joshua to strip him away from his World titles in September 2021, the ones he has recovered in 2019 after losing them for the very first time against Andy Ruiz. With an immediate rematch impossible to happen, AJ is aware that he needs a huge fight to keep himself at the Heavyweight division elite. 

Joshua could be both a brave fighter and a suicide, as the rival he is looking for is the former Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder: “I think if you said to AJ right now, ‘Who’s your top choice?’ I think he’d probably go for Deontay Wilder. It’s not an interim fight, let’s be honest. One thing’s for sure, he’ll be fighting a top ten heavyweight, a world-ranked heavyweight.", said Eddie Hearn, AJ promoter, to IFL TV.

In case the Bronze Bomber is not available, Anthony Joshua may have more options to be in shape until Usyk comes back: “We’ve got to look at the opponents. AJ was talking last night about Luis Ortiz, Otto Wallin, a southpaw, the same as Usyk, might make sense, Joe Joyce, even AJ talked about Deontay Wilder", stated Hearn.

Deontay Wilder, a fearsome Heavyweight puncher

Talking about facing Wilder is talking about bravery. The Alabama puncher is 42-2-1 with a scandalous amount of 41 KOs. From 2015 to 2019 he was the holder of the WBC Heavyweight World Title. The only two men capable of withstanding its brutal power have been Bermane Stiverne and Tyson Fury. 

Even the Gipsy King has defeated him twice in a row, both fights by the way of knockout, Wilder is still the most powerful man ever in the Queen Division with his 93.2% KO ratio in 44 fights held so far. Anthony Joshua is not far away from him with his 87.5% ratio. Undoubtedly, this fight will make sparks fly.