Joshua: I know I will get my belt back even if I lose it
IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua says he doesn’t want to give up one of his world titles due to boxing politics, but if he must, he’s not worried about it.
The IBF and WBO sanctioning bodies still have yet to decide which of their mandatory challengers will go first in 2020 for Joshua to defend against, and it’s looking like he’ll need to vacate one of the belts.
“I would hate it because it’s so hard to collect all these belts. To have to vacate because of the boxing politics would be annoying,” said Joshua to skysports.com. “If I do lose one, I know I’ll be able to get it back.”
IBF mandatory Kubrat Pulev (28-1, 14 KOs) is the likely opponent that Joshua will be defending against in the first half of 2020
It helps Matchroom and Jacobs if he relinquishes his World Boxing Organization title, because that sets up a mouthwatering fight between Parker and Usyk. The winner of that fight then faces Joshua in a unification, and it would likely wind up in Saudi Arabia.
read also; Joshua reveals what will happen to Fury if he goes ahead to spar him
Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn is in an enviable position with him having top 3 heavyweights with the WBO under his promotional banner. The WBO belt will stay with Matchroom if Joshua vacates it, and it’ll be easy for AJ to negotiate a fight against the winner.