What’s next for Anthony Joshua should he beat Francis Ngannou?

With the devastating news that Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk’s ‘Ring of Fire’ showdown was forced to be postponed until May 18 due to the ‘Gypsy King’ sustaining a nasty cut above his eye in training, attention has quickly shifted to Anthony Joshua’s upcoming bout with Francis Ngannou.

The two-time unified heavyweight champion is on a redemption mission following his back-to-back defeats to Usyk at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah in 2021 and 2022, and the former UFC heavyweight belt holder is next on ‘AJ’s’ agenda.

Joshua has been rising back through the ranks with wins over Jermaine Franklin, Robert Helenius, and Otto Wallin in 2023, and Ngannou has already proven that he can be a formidable opponent in the Blue Riband weight class after his boxing debut against Fury in Saudi Arabia last October.

The 37-year-old made everyone sit up and take notice when he floored the Gypsy King in the third round of their ‘Battle of the Baddest’ matchup, and many boxing pundits and fans alike felt like Ngannou’s split decision defeat at the end of the 10 rounds was somewhat controversial from the judges.

There is an argument over whether Fury took the fight seriously enough as it was somewhat of a stop-gap while the WBC champion waited for Usyk. But with so much on the line for Joshua, including his career, there is no way he will make the same mistakes as the Gypsy King going into this bout in Riyadh on March 8.

That is reflected in the Francis Ngannou vs Anthony Joshua odds, where AJ is the overwhelming favourite to extend his rival’s boxing record to a disappointing 0-2. Joshua still needs to get in the ring and do his job, of course, but there is already debate surrounding what is next for the 34-year-old should he come out on top.

As the countdown to fight night continues, let’s explore some of AJ’s future options — both immediate and further down the line.

Undisputed title fight vs Usyk or Fury

There is no doubt that Joshua will want a crack at the winner of Usyk vs Fury.

While we have witnessed Usyk vs Joshua twice already, boxing fans have been incredibly hungry for an all-British bout between AJ and Fury for years — and the potential of this being an undisputed clash makes it all the more mouthwatering.

However, Usyk and Fury are likely going to have rematch clauses in their contracts. So, Joshua will probably have to wait until next year at the earliest if he is to compete against one of these two.

Nonetheless, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn is still adamant that his man can become the undisputed king.

“Even now with Ben Davison, they like the Usyk fight now,” the Matchroom promoter said. “Ben really believes that AJ beat Usyk. I truly believe AJ will become the undisputed heavyweight champion.

“Only with that last performance do people start thinking… I love Usyk but part of me wants Tyson to win that fight so we can potentially move.”

Hearn might still have faith in Joshua, but he would be the massive underdog in the boxing odds should either of these two bouts materialise.

Deontay Wilder

Some boxing fans were disappointed when the ‘Day of Reckoning’ card was revealed and AJ was pencilled to face Otto Wallin while Deontay Wilder was paired with Joseph Parker on the same night.

Still, it presented Joshua and Wilder with the opportunity to size each other up before going on to face one another the next time they entered the ring.

Or, so it seemed. The ‘Bronze Bomber’ was stunned by Parker and that threw a spanner in the works of a future fight with AJ — and is the reason why he is now fighting Ngannou.

Wilder could still be an option for Joshua should he dispatch the former UFC heavyweight champion, and given the American’s recent form, it could be another confidence-building win for AJ before facing Fury or Usyk.

Filip Hrgovic

Filip Hrgovic is making a name for himself in the heavyweight division, and he could be a potentially lucrative opponent for Joshua after Ngannou.

The Croatian Olympic bronze medallist is one of the best in the weight class at the minute, which presents AJ the opportunity to prove he is still an elite fighter.

But that’s not all. As the mandatory challenger for the IBF heavyweight title, there is a chance that a possible fight between Hrgovic and AJ could be for the belt.

Should Usyk and Fury trigger that aforementioned rematch clause, then it is likely that the International Boxing Federation will strip the holder of the belt.

Hrgovic would therefore have to go up against someone for the vacant title, and that challenger could be AJ.

Zhilei Zhang

Zhilei Zhang suffered the first defeat of his professional career when he was somewhat controversially beaten by Hrgovic on the undercard of Usyk vs Joshua II back in 2022, but the 40-year-old has bounced back since.

The Chinese fighter beat Joe Joyce via TKO to win the vacant WBO interim heavyweight title at the Copper Box Arena in April last year and he beat the British boxer again at Wembley Arena to defend the belt in September.

He will now face Parker as the co-main event alongside Joshua vs Ngannou in Riyadh next month, and the two men could go on to face each other should they both come out on top on the night.

It wouldn’t be the first time they’ve traded blows either, as Joshua beat Zhang en route to winning the super heavyweight gold medal at the 2012 Olympics in London.

But the 40-year-old has previously outlined his intentions to go toe-to-toe with AJ again.

“I lost to a better man 11 years ago in the Olympics. I’m happy we have both come a long way, gone through ups and downs in life,” he said on Instagram.

“Now it’s time to do this for the sport of boxing and give it to the fans around the world. Let’s get it on!”

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Whether it’s Usyk, Fury, Wilder, Hrgovic, Zhang, or somebody else, all eyes will be on Joshua’s next move as he desperately seeks to become a three-time heavyweight champion.