Eddie Hearn insists there are five names in the running to box Anthony Joshua next – but one is less likely than the others.
AJ is set to return to the ring this summer following his devastating knockout loss to Daniel Dubois in September.
The plan was for AJ to finally square off with Tyson Fury this summer.
Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh was even said to be preparing a lucrative offer for a two-fight deal.
However, the fight has been shelved as Fury announced his retirement from boxing in January following a second consecutive defeat to Oleksandr Usyk.
While Hearn is hoping Fury will reverse his retirement, he isn’t banking on it.
The Matchroom Boxing chief is planning to sit down with Joshua and his advisers imminently to discuss possible next opponents and there is no shortage of options.
Speaking exclusively to talkSPORT.com he said: “Daniel Dubois still [is the frontrunner].
“In an ideal world, he will fight Fury, if not Dubois.
“There is also Joseph Parker, who I think would be a great fight, there is Agit Kabayel and Deontay Wilder, obviously, His Excellency (Alalshikh) has stated he would love to see that fight.
“We will have to see, but really the talks are imminent with AJ now to lock in that opponent for the summer.”
A possible blockbuster showdown with Bakole is still in play as well, although Hearn has poured doubts on it following the Congolese puncher’s stoppage loss to Parker two weeks ago.
GettyBakole is still in the running, but he is a less likely option after his knockout loss to Parker[/caption]
“I guess the Bakole fight is still there, but he would probably get criticised if he fought Bakole, so less likely,” he added.
Bakole accepted the fight with Parker on two days’ notice after Dubois pulled out with a viral infection.
The 33-year-old was in Congo with family when he received the green light from Alalshikh and embarked on a 3,800-mile journey to Saudi Arabia the next day, made up of three separate flights.
The first plane ride took him from Congo to Ethiopia, then to Dubai, before landing in Saudi Arabia in the early hours of Saturday morning.
When he made his way to the ring, Bakole was clipped on the top of the head with a clubbing right hand in the second round that sent him hurtling to the canvas.
To his credit, he made his way back to his feet, but his trainer Billy Nelson made the compassionate decision to throw in the towel.
Prior to his last outing, Bakole’s promoter Ben Shalom declared that a fight with Joshua had been signed, although this proved to be untrue.
“It’s done. I’m hearing he’s signed and we’re off to the Congo,” Shalom told talkSPORT last month.
Hearn came out a few days later to declare that there hadn’t been a single conversation about that fight.
“The social media rumour mill is always probably 10 per cent true,” he told the Matchroom Boxing YouTube channel.
“The latest one, someone sent it to me on Saturday.
“‘Bakole-Joshua is done and signed.’ We’ve not had one conversation about that fight.
“I’m not ruling it out but it’s not ever been a conversation. I don’t know where that one came from.”
