ANTHONY JOSHUA might have another hurdle in the way of his super-fight against Tyson Fury in the form of WBA ‘regular’ champ Mahmoud Charr.
The Syrian is scheduled to make his first defence of that belt in three years when he fights Trevor Bryan in Florida.
Charr has not yet flown out to the US as he waits for paperwork to be filed for the title scrap.
But he is predicting victory on Friday night – and then hopes the WBA push for him to be next in line for Joshua’s ‘super’ version.
Speaking to Sky Sports, the 36-year-old said: “I’m ready. I’ve trained very hard, I’ve sparred very hard. I’m 100 per cent fit.
“This is the mandatory fight for Joshua.
And speaking of the prospect of facing Joshua, he added: “I hope the fight will happen.
“I’m the first heavyweight champion from the Middle East.”
Charr hasn’t fought since November 2017.
His last fight saw him pick up the WBA ‘regular’ belt after he outpointed Alexander Ustinov in his native Germany.
Charr’s lengthy absence from the ring is due to promotional wrangles, while he was also suspended for an adverse VADA drug test.
Though his suspension from the squared circle was later lifted by the WBA.
Despite Charr’s hopes, Joshua’s heavyweight unification bout with Tyson Fury is edging ever closer, as contract talks advance this week.
Boxing fans around the world have been clamouring for the fight for much of the last 12 months, particularly since Fury’s demolition of Deontay Wilder last February.
And with Olexandr Usyk and the Bronze Bomber seemingly out of the way for now, talks between Bob Arum, Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn are set to ramp up this week.
The Gypsy King’s US co-promoter Arum, 89, explained to talkSPORT: “I talked to Eddie yesterday.
“Eddie, with the Joshua people, will have the first draft of the contract to us on Tuesday.
“And then I will circulate it to Frank [Warren], to Tyson and to the various lawyers.
“We’ll then get back to Eddie with our comments and I really believe that this is pretty much a no-brainer because everybody are professionals and want this to happen.
“So I think shortly we’ll be able to tie this up and then jointly select the site.”
