Anthony Joshua is “most likely” to fight again in November as promoter Eddie Hearn considers venues in Wales, America, China and Dubai for his next world title defence.
The WBA ‘super’ and IBF heavyweight champion could soon learn whether Wladimir Klitschko will take the option of a rematch after Joshua’s stunning 11th-round stoppage win at Wembley last month.
Joshua, who picked up a minor shoulder problem after the brutal battle, will take only one more fight this year with November the preferred month.
After attracting a record 90,000 crowd to Wembley, promoter Hearn has been assessing other iconic locations for Joshua’s next fight, including the Principality Stadium in Cardiff and venues in Las Vegas.
“We are looking at potential dates and venues for Anthony Joshua’s next fight – Cardiff, Las Vegas, China and Dubai are all in play,” Hearn said.
“November is the most likely month for a return but it’s early days all round.”
Joshua’s last three fights have been aired on American television network Showtime, who are keen for the unbeaten 27-year-old to make his US debut within ‘the next couple of fights.’
The Principality Stadium, which has previously staged Joe Calzaghe fights, has an attendance of over 74,000 and its fully retractable roof means it could be a potential option in the winter.
A Klitschko rematch would need to be cleared by the IBF, who have installed Kubrat Pulev as their mandatory challenger, and are expected to decide this week whether their champion has an exception to face the Ukrainian first.