Anthony Joshua has mapped out his plans for 2019 as London prepares to get Christmas out of the way.
The unified champion will step up camp in the New Year for a scheduled date of April 13th at Wembley Stadium.
Joshua hopes to have Deontay Wilder in the opposite corner but faces a long wait to see how an imminent clash with Tyson Fury pans out.
A Wilder win could mean negotiations will be ramped up for a huge unification, seeing both fighters earn over $20m each.
That’s the blueprint for Joshua. However, a Fury upset would put a spanner in those works.
There’s also the small matter of several mandatories to deal with for Joshua. With the likes of Kubrat Pulev and Dillian Whyte already lined up by the IBF and WBO.
Being swept aside in September, Alexander Povetkin took care of the WBA obligation, although Joshua’s work never seems done with all of the governing bodies.
World Boxing Council President Mauricio Sulaiman has already stated Wilder’s mandated defenses are on hold until talks with Joshua are exhausted as Dominic Breazeale waits in the wings.
“We hope that this fight will happen. The world has a great interest in seeing these giants of Boxing fighting. They’re returned keen interest and focus on the heavyweight division.
Unified the heavyweight division twice in 22 fights. Watch me become Undisputed Heavyweight Champion in 2019! Stay Hungry 🔥 pic.twitter.com/JTC99IfprO
— Anthony Joshua (@anthonyjoshua) November 21, 2018
“Both are unbeaten, and both are champions. They should do it now, as the fans really want this to happen.
“The WBC position has been to support the efforts to make Wilder vs. Joshua a reality and will wait for confirmation by both camps,” he added.
Despite Joshua’s obvious intentions, Whyte in the spring and Pulev in the fall remain the most likely scenario for 2019.
Add to that Jarrell Miller and Joshua may fight three times in 2019 before pushing harder for Wilder in 2020.
Wilder’s 2019 could consist of a rematch with Fury in the summer before a clash with Breazeale at the back end of the year.
That would open the gates for a blockbuster encounter with Joshua in the spring of 2020, provided there’s no Wilder slip-up against Fury.
Joshua’s possible 2019
April: Whyte
August: Miller
December: Pulev
Wilder’s possible 2019
May: Fury II
October/ November: Breazeale
