Anthony Joshua's emphatic stoppage victory over Otto Wallin on Saturday ended his 2023 with an exclamation point and paved the way toward an intriguing 2024.
Here DAZN considers three possible opponents for AJ in the New Year.
Filip Hrgovic
Eddie Hearn addressed the possibility of Anthony Joshua clashing with Filip Hrgovic by giving it a glaring co-sign.
"We signed for Deontay Wilder, he lost tonight. But maybe it's a blessing because really [Joshua] is about championships," Hearn told DAZN's Chris Mannix following Joshua's victory Saturday. "He wants to become a three-time heavyweight world champion and now Otto Wallin was No. 2 in the division. It's going to be Hrgovic vs. AJ for the world title."
That world title that Hearn is referring to is the IBF championship if it indeed becomes vacant.
Earlier on the "Day of Reckoning" card in Riyadh, Hrgovic delivered a first-round TKO of Mark de Mori to improve to 17-0 with 14 knockouts.
Joshua vs. Hrgovic would make for a mouthwatering matchup and one in which AJ could add to his legacy.
Joseph Parker
The "Day of Reckoning" pay-per-view set up a collision course for Joshua to clash with Wilder as long as the two won their respective bouts Saturday. Joshua upheld his end of the bargain against Wallin in the main event but Joseph Parker made sure that Wilder did not.
Parker dominated Wilder toward a unanimous decision, including an eighth round in which he battered the "Bronze Bomber" enough to threaten a stoppage.
The statement victory, and the ease at which Parker delivered it, should be enough to at least consider a Joshua vs. Parker rematch.
The two fought in March 2018 when Joshua produced a unanimous decision to hand Parker his first professional loss.
However, both heavyweights have grown tremendously since then, making the prospect for Joshua-Parker II appealing.
Winner of Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury
This one is stating the obvious, but if an undisputed crown is to be decided in the heavyweight division, Joshua may very well have a say in the matter.
That significance of assuming that mantle would overtake Joshua clashing with Usyk for a third time despite having an 0-2 record against the Ukraine boxer — if Usyk indeed turns out to be the winner.
If it's Fury who has his hand raised, "The Gypsy King" vs. "AJ" would set the boxing world on fire.