After New Victory, Anthony Joshua’s Agent Wants Three Fights in 2018

Anthony Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn wants to take the world heavyweight champion overseas after his 10th round win over Carlos Takam Saturday.

Joshua retained his International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Association heavyweight titles after stopping Takam at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.

All of Joshua’s 20 professional fights have ended inside the distance and have all been in Britain.

“I would like him to box three times in 2018,” Hearn told reporters.

“He doesn’t have to, it’s down to Anthony. We may have a mandatory (defence) with the WBA which is unclear at the moment.

“There’s (WBO champion) Joseph Parker, there’s (WBC champion) Deontay Wilder. I would like him to have an international fight in 2018, but it does seem a shame to leave all this.

“It’s about sitting down and seeing what he wants to do, he’s capable of fighting in any territory, we need a clear plan moving forward.”

American Wilder defends his World Boxing Council belt against Haiti’s Bermane Stiverne on November 4

Joshua, 28, says he does not mind who he fights — Wilder, New Zealander Parker or a mandatory challenger — so long as he is retains the WBA and IBF belts.

“I’m just focusing on keeping my belts, who ever that is on the WBA list that’s who it is,” Joshua told reporters.

“I’m not just worried about my next three fights but the long term strategy.”

Takam, 36, complained about the stoppage but will take a lot of credit after fighting on with impaired vision after being cut near his right eye in the fourth round where he also took a count.

“I’m happy with that the win is secured and we move on,” said Joshua, who paid tribute to his opponent for battling on despite the injury.

“His eyes were nearly hanging off because the cut was deep, but he wanted to carry on and that’s the fighter’s instinct.

“I didn’t care if I sparked him out or it went 12 rounds, but people wanted to see him unconscious. I tried to do that but the ref’s job is to make sure they can fight another day.

“I didn’t want to rush things because he was quite experienced.

“He knows his durability and just (wanted to) try to land that one sweet punch and those belts go back to France.”

One of Joshua’s former victims and another British fighter, Dillian Whyte, may get to Wilder before Joshua as he is ranked number three by the WBC.

Jamaica-born Whyte, whose only defeat in 23 fights was the seventh-round stoppage against Joshua almost two years ago, unanimously out-pointed Finland’s Robert Helenius on the undercard.

“If Deontay Wilder will travel, there’s a fight to be made on February 3 in London,” said Hearn of his plans for Whyte.

AFP