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Anthony Joshua could fight for world title this summer on Sky PPV

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Anthony Joshua could be fighting for a world title again this summer and be back on Pay Per View through his old Sky platform, World Boxing News understands.

As WBN first reported, Joshua could face Filip Hrgovic for the interim or full version of the IBF heavyweight title.

It all depends on what Oleksandr Usyk does after the collapse of an undisputed clash with Tyson Fury.

Usyk vs Fury was set to unify the four title belts in the division on April 29. A win for Fury would have left the IBF strap vacant due to his beef with the organization.

If he beat Usyk, Fury had vowed to drop the title immediately and not pay any sanctioning fees because he was stripped after beating Wladimir Klitschko in 2015.

Once the belt was vacant, Hrgovic would face the next contender in line for the championship. Andy Ruiz Jr. and Deontay Wilder are currently sandwiched between Hrgovic and Joshua.

Ruiz already turned down the chance to fight Hrgovic for the interim version. Wilder, too would have passed up the opportunity. Therefore, Joshua will get the call if he can get past Jermaine Franklin this weekend.

Anthony Joshua vs Filip Hrgovic

Right now, that looks to be an interim rather than the full version of the red belt. However, Hrgovic vs Joshua is a distinct possibility if AJ can get back to winning ways.

A stadium in the UK will likely host the redemption of Joshua, with a return to PPV on Sky now possible due to the launch of DAZN’s next channel.

Joshua is looking forward to his debut on Sky channel 429, which should be the start of DAZN’s goal of having an option similar to Sky Sports Box Office on the platform.

“DAZN is working really hard to take sports broadcasting to new levels and bring fans closer to the action than ever before,” said Joshua.

“It’s a huge element of why I wanted to commit my long-term future to the platform. The launch of DAZN 1 HD on channel 429 will make it even easier for fans to access my return to the ring on Saturday, April 1, against Jermaine Franklin.

“Make sure you tune in for a spectacular night of boxing.”

Joshua back on Sky PPV through DAZN

Having Joshua as a flagbearer was a big part of the launch. DAZN will want AJ on Sky to maximize any future Pay Per Views.

Joshua regularly hit millions of buys when campaigning on Sky Sports Box Office. Any standalone DAZN channel of the same ilk brings that possibility back.

DAZN CEO Shay Segev outlined his vision without giving too much away.

“At DAZN, we are delighted to deliver it [DAZN on Sky] to fans in the UK and worldwide as part of their monthly subscription. This makes it [the Franklin fight] the most accessible ‘AJ’ fight in a decade.

“Beyond our unrivaled boxing schedule, we are committed to building our library of sports content in the UK. We will do this to deliver top sports content to DAZN subscribers.”

Joseph Markowski, CEO of North America, DAZN Group, added: “We have worked with Anthony Joshua for five years. We are incredibly excited to kick off our new UK relationship with him on April 1.”

Joshua vs Franklin remains free to air to subscribers like Sky Sports events are for BOXXER. But there’s is utmost certainty that DAZN PPV will follow as a channel alongside DAZN HD 1 and potentially DAZN HD 2.

This means Eddie Hearn will be able to once again put Joshua on the most significant platform in the UK. One that made them both millions with record-breaking sales.

Adding Hrgovic and the interim IBF title will be the cherry on the cake.

Follow experienced boxing writer Phil Jay on Twitter @PhilJWBN. Follow WBN: Facebook, Insta, Twitter