![Gerald Washington and Dereck Chisora in the running to salvage Anthony Joshua fight night](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/boxing/2023/08/06/TELEMMGLPICT000342207540_16913618676660_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqRo0U4xU-30oDveS4pXV-Vv4Xpit_DMGvdp2n7FDd82k.jpeg?imwidth=680)
Anthony Joshua to make fight decision with 41-year-old opponent in contention
Gerald Washington leads a shortlist that includes Dereck Chisora to fight Joshua on Saturday
![Gerald Washington and Dereck Chisora in the running to salvage Anthony Joshua fight night](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/boxing/2023/08/06/TELEMMGLPICT000342207540_16913618676660_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqRo0U4xU-30oDveS4pXV-Vv4Xpit_DMGvdp2n7FDd82k.jpeg?imwidth=680)
British heavyweight Anthony Joshua is still scheduled to fight on Saturday night at the 02 Arena, with American Gerald Washington the front-runner to replace Dillian Whyte, who was removed from the card after an “adverse analytical finding” from the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association.
Washington, 41, has emerged from a shortlist that also contained Dereck Chisora and Demsey McKean and his participation is expected to be announced on Monday, pending Joshua’s agreement. The issue for Joshua is that it is a risk taking a relatively unfamiliar opponent so close to a fight, with the need for the British fighter to change training and tactics.
Promoter Eddie Hearn, who returned from holidaying in the Caribbean in an attempt to salvage Joshua’s night at the O2 Arena, is working alongside the boxer’s management team.
Two-time heavyweight champion Joshua learnt on Saturday that Whyte was out of the all-British grudge rematch and the 33-year has until Monday to make his final decision on an opponent.
It has not yet been made public what the substance Whyte tested for, but promoter Matchroom Boxing has already made plans for a rescheduled fight week with events to run from Wednesday to Friday’s weigh-in.
It is understood that Washington’s trainer, Malik Scott, suggested the American should face Joshua. Scott also trains Deontay Wilder, the former world champion whom Joshua is expected to face next in Saudi Arabia in a bout reported to be worth $60 million (£47 million).
The O2 event will still need the go-ahead and approval from broadcasters DAZN – Joshua was expected to earn more than £10 million for the original contest. DAZN’s chief executive Joe Markowski is not ruling out the rearranged event being cancelled or postponed, although it is understood Joshua and his team are determined to go ahead with a fight.
“I feel for Eddie, and I feel for AJ more than anyone else, but it was the right decision to cancel the [Whyte] event,” Markowski told IFL TV. “We’re in discussions with Matchroom and we’ll see what happens.”
As to whether the card will remain a pay-per-view event, Markowski added: “That completely depends on the opponent, the date, all of this needs to be discussed – if it goes ahead next weekend we’ll have to wait and see.”
Carl Froch, the former super middleweight world champion, insisted only Croatia’s Filip Hrgovic (ranked No 1 by the International Boxing Federation sanctioning body and who had been on the bill to fight Australian McKean) would fully satisfy the boxing public as an opponent.
“AJ needs to fight,” said Froch. “We’ve got Hrgovic-McKean on the undercard. This could save the show. If Hrgovic can actually agree to fight AJ and AJ fancies the job, that’s a great fight. Hrgovic is a very, very capable fighter and he will give Anthony Joshua a great test. That is probably a better fight than the Dillian Whyte fight, but I’m not sure AJ would fancy that.”
David Haye, former world heavyweight champion, revealed in a podcast interview that Chisora had told him days ago that he had been in training to be the replacement opponent for Joshua.
“It’s funny, I got a call from Dereck Chisora about a week ago telling me this exact thing would happen. I didn’t pay much mind to it, but he was telling me he’s fighting AJ a week ago,” Haye told Seconds Out Live.
Chisora, now 39 and with 46 fights to his name, has been a mentor and friend to Joshua for many years, and the former world title challenger, whose last fight was a defeat by Tyson Fury at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last December, still remains as a possible opponent this weekend.
There was also a call-out from Joshua’s old foe Andy Ruiz Jnr. Joshua was defeated and stopped by Ruiz and lost his three world title belts in 2019, before reclaiming them later that year in a rematch – on points – in Saudi Arabia.
“Anthony Joshua, let’s get the trilogy,” said Ruiz. One way or another, Joshua’s decision will be made today.