Joshua wants ‘serious’ title contender

Anthony Joshua has hinted that he wants his next fight to be the most difficult assignment of his career so far.
The IBF heavyweight champion is mandated to meet unbeaten challenger, Joseph Parker, before a November deadline, but Joshua has raised the possibility of undertaking a voluntary defence first.
Asked whether he could fight before November, Joshua told Sky Sports: “No problem with that. I’ve got a slot for November and then we’ve got 2017, which is important.
“Whoever we fight in November has to be someone that will push us forwards into 2017, and they have to be a serious contender.
“Now it’s going to get serious because people are calling me out far and wide, across the world.”
Joshua has already knocked out Charles Martin and Dominic Breazeale this year, but New Zealand’s Parker, ranked at No 1 by the IBF, is likely to provide sterner opposition.