Anthony Joshua will face Francis Ngannou on Friday night in a money-making ‘Knockout Choaos’ event in Riyadh.
There is a lot riding on the outcome of the fight, with former world champion Joshua looking to continue climbing the heavyweight rankings once again and Ngannou aiming to prove he belongs in the sport after making the jump from MMA.
Whoever wins will likely plummet into the world title scene, while the loser could be left with little direction and looking for what’s next in their career.
For Ngannou, MMA will always be there. He has hinted at a return to the sport following his departure from the UFC, but it’s not the same for Joshua. He’s always been about boxing, and another devastating loss could cost his career dearly.
sport mail has analyzed what could be next for the British if he wins and if he loses.
Anthony Joshua (pictured) looks to secure another potential world title shot by beating Francis Ngannou on Friday.
Joshua and Ngannou (right) will meet in a money-spinning heavyweight fight in Saudi Arabia.
Tyson Fury
Boxing fans have been wondering for years whether two of Britain’s biggest heavyweight titans will ever meet due to countless breakdowns in negotiations.
The couple put aside their differences to pose for an iconic photo alongside Ngannou and Cristiano Ronaldo on Tuesday night, and once again all signs seem to point to a possible showdown.
Both men are not getting any younger. Fury is 35 years old and claimed to have retired as recently as his victory over Dillian Whyte in early 2022, while Joshua is now 34 years old and has undergone a bit of a personality change since damaging back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk.
If Joshua and Tyson Fury (pictured) win their next fights, they could finally meet
The couple put aside their differences to pose for an iconic photo in Saudi Arabia this week.
However, since then, Joshua has recorded three straight wins and is one of the biggest titleholders in the division. He already has a lot left to do.
“His Excellency said the winner of this fight will face the winner of Fury-Usyk,” Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn said. MMA time. “That is a dream opportunity for us because we pursued it for a long time.
“AJ will beat Francis Ngannou, and then he will beat the winner of Fury-Usyk, and become the undisputed world heavyweight champion.”
If both men win their matches, then a fight is possible. And since Fury admits that he has a hard time staying out of the ring, two losses could also lead to a showdown.
‘Whoever wins is great for me. “If AJ wins, it’s a good opportunity for a big British showdown again, and if Ngannou wins, it’s a good opportunity for a rematch for me,” Fury said. sport mail in Saudi Arabia.
And speaking about Joshua’s fight with Ngannou in a Queensberry Promotions video, he said: “It’s a good fight, but Turki (Alalshikh), I was talking to him last night about it and he said the winner of this fight will get the winner of you and Usyk.
“After Usyk and I fight and have a rematch, the winner of this will have the opportunity to do so.
“So Usyk and I have two fights scheduled this year. Then the winner of that fight gets to fight the winner of this fight. So there is a lot at stake.”
Fury is preparing for a fight against Oleksandr Usyk (right) in May, with the winner facing the victor of Friday’s fight.
Oleksandr Usyk
And that brings us to the other champion. Joshua was beaten twice by the Ukrainian in 2021 and 2022, and many think he would be again, but the Briton would take another opportunity to test himself.
Usyk would establish himself as the best in a long time if he defeated Fury. If Joshua also wins his fight, he would be next in line, barring a possible rematch.
The odds would be very much in the champion’s favor if he were to fight AJ again, but there may not be much left for him to do either.
But Joshua had no interest in being tempted to reveal his next opponent this week, insisting he had one thing on his mind when speaking to him. sport mail in Saudi Arabia.
“Just put this fight aside,” Joshua emphasized. “That’s my main goal.”
Insisting he has never ducked anyone, the former Olympic champion would almost certainly push for a third fight with Usyk if the opportunity presented itself.
Usyk could be up for a third fight against Joshua if he can get past Fury later this year.
Usyk has already beaten Joshua twice, and the second fight was the most damaging loss of Joshua’s career.
Usyk would be the big favorite if the two meet again after victories in their next fights.
Deontay Wilder
Deontay Wilder is another name Joshua has been linked with for a long time, but it’s a fight that has never quite materialized.
The closest they got was this week, in theory. The heavyweight pair were supposed to meet because they were on the same ‘Judgment Day’ card late last year, which saw Joshua stop Otto Wallin.
However, Wilder’s surprising loss to Joseph Parker put an end to that.
The American declared on social media almost instantly that he would not retire after the defeat and, at 38 years old and with a title shot that likely won’t be on the line anytime soon, he may be best suited to reduce his losses.
Only a loss on Friday would make this potential fight possible, but Wilder may have to secure a win or two first for this to happen. At this point, the fight seems unlikely.
Joshua has long been linked with a fight against Deontay Wilder and could finally face the American
Plans for the duo to face each other were ruined when Wilder lost to Joseph Parker (right) last year.
Other options
Of course, there are other names and avenues that could arise. People like Dillian Whyte, who Joshua beat in 2015 and was supposed to face in 2023, will always be an option.
Whyte was reportedly cleared to return to the ring after a contaminated supplement was found to have been the cause of his positive drugs test which meant his second fight with Joshua was cancelled, and he will be eager to prove a point.
Joe Joyce looks to bounce back from a tough loss to Zhilei Zhang, and Zhang himself may need a dance partner for his next title defense if he can get past Parker in the co-main event of this weekend’s card.
Dillian Whyte has reportedly been cleared to return to the ring following a positive drug test.
Zhilei Zhang (left) and Joe Joyce (right) are ready to keep an eye on their opponents, but fights against Joshua seem like longshots.
There’s Daniel Dubois. Parker himself. Franco Sanchez. But at this point we’re just talking about heavyweight names.
And then there’s retirement. Many thought Joshua would call him out a day after his second loss to Usyk, the Brit lost his cool after the decision and unquestionably lost his place in the debate over the best heavyweight.
He continued and worked his way up the rankings, seemingly ready for another shot at the title if he pulls off the win on Friday night, as many expect him to do.
However, if he loses, the title shot will be a long way off. And there may only be one option left.