Eddie Hearn reveals three possible opponents to face Anthony Joshua next
- Joe Hewlett
- 25 May 2021
The Matchroom mogul has spoken about the possible contenders to challenge Anthony Joshua if negotiations with Oleksandr Usyk collapse.
Eddie Hearn has claimed Andy Ruiz approached him about a trilogy showdown against Anthony Joshua.
The pair collided twice in 2019, with the "Mexican Destroyer" delivering the biggest upset of the decade at Madison Square Garden in their first encounter.
Joshua would avenge his sole defeat in a December rematch via unanimous decision in Saudi Arabia.
AJ was on course for a historic summer showdown with Tyson Fury before an arbitrator ruled Deontay Wilder must face the latter before September 15.
Wilder lost his WBC heavyweight crown to the "Gypsy King" last year and is set to face him on July 24, according to promoter Bob Arum.
Joshua - heavyweight's unified champion - is expected to take on WBO's mandatory challenger Oleksandr Usyk.
However, Hearn has insisted if the fight cannot be made then he has three opponents lined up, including Ruiz and London rival Dillian Whyte.
'There is a good chance we could fight in America next, but it wouldn't be against Usyk,' Hearn told iFL TV.
'I think if we're going to move forward with the Usyk fight it'll be in London.'
'There's quite a few,' Hearn said about the options Joshua has next. 'If you're going to America… he's already messaged me, it's like deja vu, Andy Ruiz, he Instagramed me and said, 'I'm ready, let's do it, AJ vs Ruiz III'.
'I said, 'this is like deja vu', that's a fight I think we'd be interested in. If we're going to America, Luis Ortiz. If we're going to the UK, Dillian Whyte - is that a fight to make?
'I think that in an ideal world, if there's good business to be done with Oleksandr Usyk all round, and it's got to be good business for him as well, I think that's the fight next.
'But I wouldn't rule out any scenario at the moment for Anthony Joshua. 'We've probably got 10 days to decide what we're going to do.
'I think there was a lot of anger from everybody last week, me, AJ, he felt all along they didn't want the fight.
'I felt differently, I never felt it about the team but I felt Fury wanted the fight, maybe he didn't. Certain people didn't want this fight, basically, and they got their way.'
