Nigerian-born world heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Olaseni Oluwafemi Joshua may have turned his focus on a title fight in June, as efforts to get an opponent in April appear to have fallen flat.
Sports247.ng gathered that ‘AJ’ still has two possible opponents under his focus, but they look more plausible for a date in May or June.
This much has been revealed by Joshua’s manager, Eddie Hearn, who admitted that the chance of a high-profile fight on April 13 at Wembley look further from reality as it was from the outset.
Hearn has been unable to convince Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder to fight Joshua, and the heavyweights are expected to stage their rematch in the coming months.
He is, however, optimistic of reaching terms with Dillian Whyte for a rematch in his next fight and American heavyweight, Jarrell Miller after.
Miller’s bid to face Joshua has gathered more steam since the start of the year and the American believes he is in pole position to be the next fighter to challenge for the champs’ WBA (Super), IBF and WBO belts.
Hearn enthused that the Miller fight would take place in June in New York, but conceded that Joshua-Whyte could be moved to a later date.
That would mean Joshua dropping his April date at Wembley and Hearn acknowledged that the new permutations would have to be made should Whyte accepts his offer.
Hearn added: “There is a chance if we don’t go April 13 with AJ-Whyte, we can still do that in May or June in England.
“The Jarrell Miller fight is an option for June. It’s just a case of weighing up if it’s the right time for AJ to come and make his debut in America.
“I do think there’s value in doing that, but you can’t really win in this game because people always say Joshua is a homeboy.
“He’ll come to New York and fight this loudmouth in New York, he’s then running from the others.
“I just think at some point he needs to make that US debut and in the landscape at the moment, this would be an interesting moment.
“It all comes down to who wants it. We’re not interested in milking. If we can’t get the fight the UK fights fan, then we’ll come to America.”
