Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua could have a more manageable opponent waiting after their December 11 fight in Cardiff if the WBA adopts a four-man arrangement floated by Eddie Hearn.
The proposal would pair Murat Gassiev with Jarrell Miller, with their winner facing whoever emerges from Fury–Joshua. That could provide a route to another heavyweight title victory without requiring either British veteran to beat Filip Hrgovic, Daniel Dubois, Fabio Wardley or Moses Itauma.
“I think any resolution would have to appease the parties involved. Then Jarrell Miller falls into that party as well because ultimately he’s number one,” Hearn said to Matchroom Boxing. “Is it a Gassiev v Miller, like two semifinals, AJ against Fury and the winners fight each other? So that’s something that’s possible, but we’ll have to see the official resolution from the WBA.”
Hearn acknowledged that there is no official WBA resolution yet. He also noted that putting a belt on Fury–Joshua would give Joshua the opportunity to become a three-time heavyweight champion.
That is an obvious attraction for Joshua’s side. The proposed follow-up would also look more favorable than a fight against one of the division’s stronger contenders.
Gassiev has power, but his heavyweight record leaves him open to the paper-champion criticism. He has yet to demonstrate that he belongs alongside the best in the division. Miller, meanwhile, has not produced the kind of victory that would move the conversation away from his history of positive PED tests and toward his title credentials.
Neither would be harmless. Still, Joshua or Fury would have reason to like their chances against either man compared with the alternatives.
Dubois, Wardley, Hrgovic and Itauma would demand more physically from the two veterans. Those fights would offer a stronger test of whether the Fury–Joshua winner can still compete with the leading heavyweights.
The WBA proposal could suit Fury and Joshua nicely. Whether a fight against the Gassiev–Miller winner would generate comparable interest is another question. Adding a title would help the promotion, but it would not make that follow-up the division’s most attractive fight.
