Boxing: Who should Anthony Joshua fight next?

Unified heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua will defend his titles at New York's Madison Square Garden on June 1, but promoter Eddie Hearn has been scrambling around for an opponent since Jarrell 'Big Baby' Miller failed a series of drug tests.

VADA tests picked up on Miller having banned substances GW1516, HGH and EPO in his system and the Brooklyn fighter later admitted: "I messed up. I made a bad call. I handled it wrong and I’m paying the price for it".

The New York Athletic Commission refused to grant Miller a licence, meaning a new opponent must be found to challenge for Joshua's WBA, IBF and WBO belts, but options are limited to fringe contenders.

The one name who could be available and has the potential to give AJ a decent fight is heavy-handed Cuban Luis Ortiz, who gave Deontay Wilder all sorts of trouble when they met last year.

Ortiz's camp apparently turned down 'lowball offers' from Hearn to fight Joshua last week, but then bizarrely admitted it was their fault negotiations fell apart.

Some bookies have priced up that fight and make Ortiz a 6-1 underdog.

Mexican-American Andy Ruiz Jr seems to be Hearn's preferred option and he has sung his praises to American reporters, saying Ruiz "has a massive heart and is ready to go".

But if it does happen Ruiz will be a massive underdog - he is much smaller, carries a lot of excess weight and lost his only other world title shot on points against Joseph Parker a couple of years ago.

Americans Michael Hunter and Trevor Bryan have also been mentioned, but are nowhere near Joshua's level.

Tyson Fury recently signed with US broadcaster ESPN and will fight Tom Schwarz next on June 16 in Las Vegas. The network want him to have a series of stateside fights to boost his profile in America.

WBC champion Deontay Wilder is set to defend his belt against Dominic Breazeale in Brooklyn on May 18, while Dillian Whyte will take on Oscar Rivas in July after failing to agree terms for a rematch with Joshua.

Oleksandr Usyk, the 2018 Ring magazine Fighter of the Year, could be a future opponent but will need time to adapt to heavyweight after moving up from cruiserweight and is set to face Carlos Takam on May 25.

Meanwhile, upcoming British prospects Joe Joyce, Daniel Dubois and Nathan Gorman still lack the experience, ranking and public profiles to headline a US pay-per-view show against champion Joshua.

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