You’d be wrong if you’d narrowed down Anthony Joshua’s potential post-Parker opponent to three possible candidates.
Presuming – and it’s a big presumption – that Joshua adds Joseph Parker’s WBO heavyweight title to his collection when they clash in Cardiff next month, most felt that he’d attempt to unify the division by taking on Deontay Wilder, meet Tyson Fury in an all-British showdown or fulfil his desire to see out a rematch with Dillian Whyte.
But a surprise name has entered the running as promoter Eddie Hearn has revealed that there’s a very big possibility that ‘AJ’ could take on undefeated American Jarrell Miller.
Miller is expected to fight Johann Duhaupas at the end of April and with victories for both ‘Big Baby’ and Joshua in their next outings, Hearn has claimed that the pair could meet in what would be Joshua’s first professional fight outside the United Kingdom.
Speaking to BoxingScene.com, Hearn said: When you look at the promotion and an American to fight in [his] backyard, Jarrell Miller is absolutely spot on. But I think him against Duhaupas is a complete 50-50 [fight], in terms of his recent performances. I didn’t think [Miller] was at his best against [Mariusz] Wach [on November 11]. But at the same time, it’s hard to look great against Wach. And he stopped Wach as well, so that was an impressive victory.
“But this is the fight, for me, where I think Jarrell Miller really stakes his claim to challenge for the world heavyweight title.
“And while Deontay Wilder continues to live at a street address on ‘Fantasy Island,’ this [Joshua-Miller] is the fight that we will look to make in August. And I’m already in talks with [the Barclays Center’s] Brett Yormark, that all being well on March 31st, New York is the venue for Anthony Joshua’s next fight.
“If that’s not against Deontay Wilder, Jarrell Miller will be the guy if he can get the win against Duhapuas. That’s the plan. And again, we have to win on March 31st. And AJ’s not even thinking about August. It’s not like we’re overlooking Parker. It’s my job to plan the future, and the future is a fight in America in 2018.”
