ANTHONY JOSHUA’S NEXT next two fights will take place at Wembley, promoter Eddie Hearn announced today.
IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion Joshua (21-0) will return to the site of his stunning victory over Wladimir Klitschko on September 22 this year and April 13, 2019.
It is expected the 28-year-old will face Alexander Povetkin – as ordered by the WBA – in the first of his two bouts, with Hearn to provide confirmation of the opponent next week.
The order to face Povetkin came after talks over a highly anticipated heavyweight unification fight with WBC title-holder Deontay Wilder ended with Wilder unleashing an expletive-filled poem and claiming Joshua’s camp ‘played us all’ .
Hearn previously suggested a clash between Joshua and Wilder could take place in April, and a date has now been booked for the 28-year-old to take to the ring that month.
“The opportunity to fight in such an iconic stadium is normally a once in career opportunity,” says Joshua, “so to be given the chance to fight there again is amazing. Wembley just added a fourth lion to the den.”
Following his 11th-round stoppage of Klitschko in April 2017, Joshua overcame Carlos Takam and Joseph Parker at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
