Former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is at a critical juncture in his career. In September, he faced IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois at Wembley, where ‘DDD’ delivered a shocking performance, dropping Joshua four times before securing a stunning fifth-round knockout victory.
As Joshua has done in the past, everyone expected him to vie for an immediate rematch. However, that doesn’t appear to be the case, as Frank Warren, Dubois’ promoter, has claimed he is in talks with other fighters in the IBF top 10 for Dubois’ next fight. Regardless, ‘Pro Boxing Fans’ seem to have proposed a fight between Joshua and Croatia’s Filip Hrgovic.
What’s next for Anthony Joshua?
Earlier today, Pro Boxing Fans hopped on Instagram to write, “Joshua vs. Hrgovic in 2025? Would the Croatian be a good comeback fight for AJ?” As of the time of writing, there’s no word on who the Brit may end up fighting next. However, it would make sense for Joshua to wait for the fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury later this year.
If Usyk can repeat his previous performance and defeat the former WBC heavyweight champion, Fury, Joshua has a decent shot at landing an all-British clash with Fury. Not to mention, ‘The Gypsy King’ has expressed interest in getting that fight underway. To top it off, English fans have been asking for the fight for years now, so money should not be an issue.
Meanwhile, Hrgovic, like Joshua is also coming off a defeat against Daniel Dubois in June earlier this year when ‘DDD’ stopped the Croatian in the 8th round via a technical knockout. So, a Joshua vs. Hrgovic fight makes sense on paper, but what do the fans think about it? Reacting to the social media post from Pro Boxing Fans, the boxing world didn’t seem to be on the same page.
Fabio Wardley roped in
While Joshua remains in limbo, fans have come up with great potential fights. One user felt Hrgovic should be fighting Fabio Wardley. “Hrgovic should be fighting Wardley next imo,” the user wrote. Wardley is coming off a 1st round knockout win over Frazer Clarke in their rematch following a draw the first time around.
Meanwhile, this user went into detail, explaining why the Joshua vs. Hrgovic fight doesn’t make sense. “Nope, not likely at all or a particularly good take. Joshua has options and wants a belt. Hrgovic is a lower option, and presents nothing… He’s gonna pass up on a Dubois rematch and world title shot, to consider the Usyk vs Fury winner and all those belts, why on Earth would he step backward for less $ and no recognition for a tough fight? Makes zero sense. Watching Hrgovic eating right hands from Dubois shouldn’t spark confidence either,” the user wrote. However, in that sense, why did Joshua fight Robert Helenius and Otto Wallin after losing twice to Oleksandr Usyk? There is always room for bigger and smaller fights, as long as the boxers wish to have the fight.
The next user seemed fine with the proposed bout. “Joshua steps out of boxing, but boxing never steps out of Joshua. I told you guys, it’s gonna be the next Ali era,” the user commented. Famously, Muhammad Ali had suffered two losses to Ken Norton and Joe Frazier, but still managed to come back to defeat George Foreman in 1974.
Another user thought the potential Joshua vs. Hrgovic fight could be interesting. “This could be spicy,” the user commented. Notably, this fight could serve as a tune-up for Joshua, while offering the Croatian a chance to redeem himself after his loss to Dubois.
Someone else had a similar feeling about the matchup. “Great fight,” the user commented. The only downside is that Joshua is 35 and potentially on his way out, so he may want big money-making bouts, which the Hrgovic fight might not be.
That said, clearly not everyone is on board with the potential Anthony Joshua vs. Filip Hrgovic fight. Can this fight be made? Possibly, but it’s unlikely to happen since Joshua might be looking for the big bucks.
