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My next opponent must be serious contender, says Anthony Joshua

Joshua was in attendance at the British Grand Prix yesterday and was seen with his friend and well-known rap artist, Tinie Tempah.
Anthony Joshua celebrates after defending his IBF heavyweight title. AFP/Getty Images/Richard Heathcote

Anthony Joshua celebrates after defending his IBF heavyweight title. AFP/Getty Images/Richard Heathcote

International Boxing Federation Heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, wants his next opponent to be a serious contender.

Joshua was in attendance at the British Grand Prix yesterday and was seen with his friend and well-known rap artist, Tinie Tempah.

Recently, promoter Barry Hearn suggested that Bermane Stiverne would be his first choice as Anthony Joshua’s next opponent before he takes on his mandatory contender in New Zealand’s Joseph Parker.

Parker would likely be a good test for the Londoner too mind you, and with Parker not looking terribly impressive in his last fight, I would have thought Joshua’s handlers would be happy to put their man in there with him now.

Bringing Paker over to the United Kingdom from New Zealand would surely be plausible also based on their past ability to bring American’s like Dominic Breazeale and Charles Martin over for Joshua, and would most likely be Parker’s biggest payday by some margin in his career to date.

But it still remains a bit up in the air as to who will be Joshua’s next opponent as things stand.

Tyson Fury is now effectively ruled out with his new date for the rematch with Klitschko stretching into even later this year, and a big fight with the likes of a David Haye seems unlikely with Haye rumoured to be boxing Shannon Briggs in the O2 next September.

But could a Haye and Joshua collision at London’s 02 be possible even instead? I’ve seen stranger things happen, that’s for sure.

Speaking today to Sky Sports at the British Grand Prix alongside recording artist, Tinie Tempah, Joshua said on what he wants next: “I think I got a slot for November and then 2017 is going to be important, so whoever we fight in November has to be somebody who will push us to 2017 and it has to be a serious contender.

“I have had my first defence, which was successful, and now it is going to be serious because people have been calling me from far and wide across the world.”

•Culled from www.boxingnewsandviews.com

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