Anthony Joshua is one fight away from becoming a three-time world heavyweight champion. The British boxer has got his career back on track with a good run of form.
Joshua's recent victories over Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou have put him in line for another title shot. He's set to face IBF Champion Daniel Dubois on September 21. If he wins, Joshua will likely face the winner of the Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury rematch. If not, he'll keep busy with top contenders.
But there's a new challenger on the horizon. Martin Bakole, a top contender in the heavyweight division, has called out Joshua. Bakole recently made waves by defeating Jared Anderson, an American boxer many tipped as a future world champion. Bakole dismantled Anderson in five rounds, gaining recognition from US and UK fans alike.
Riding high on this victory, Bakole has set his sights on Joshua. He's even proposed a fight in Africa, drawing inspiration from the famous "Rumble in the Jungle" between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman.
Bakole didn't mince words when talking about a potential fight with Joshua. In an interview with BOXXER, he said:
"Anthony Joshua – knockout, round four or five … This year I'm coming to knock them out. Stop them or punish them."
It's worth noting that Bakole has previously claimed to have seriously hurt Joshua in gym sparring. However, these claims haven't been verified.
While Bakole waits for his shot at Joshua, he might face Zhilei Zhang next. Riyadh Season's Turki Alalshikh is looking to promote this fight, possibly in Africa or China.
Joshua, now trained by Ben Davison, is focused on his upcoming fight with Dubois. He lost his unified titles to Oleksandr Usyk and fell short in their rematch. Now, he's determined to become a three-time world heavyweight champion.
The heavyweight division is heating up with top fighters like Joshua, Usyk, Fury, Dubois, Bakole, and Zhang all vying for supremacy. Fight fans have plenty to look forward to in the coming months.