Joshua-Ngannou is the next big heavyweight fight to make

The Day of Reckoning boxing event was supposed to set up a blockbuster showdown between former heavyweight champions Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder.

Joshua-Wilder was a fight more than five years in the making, and it would have finally happened if Joshua defeated Otto Wallin and Wilder beat Joseph Parker in Saturday's double co-feature in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Leading up to the event, Joshua and Wilder agreed to terms for a March 9 bout in Riyadh, and the deal was reportedly finalized this past week. But it was contingent on both men winning Saturday.

Everyone involved in the Day of Reckoning took a risk by not booking Joshua-Wilder for Dec. 23 - these extra steps were not necessary to get there - and, as fate had it, that fight is all but dead, at least for now. Joshua held up his side of the agreement, beating Wallin via fifth-round corner stoppage in a vintage performance. But Wilder didn't do his part, suffering a lopsided unanimous decision loss to Parker in what was an uninspiring showing and a major upset.

"It's ruined our plans. ... The future is not Deontay Wilder," Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn, told TNT Sports on Saturday.

But as one door closes on one blockbuster fight, another one opens: It's time for Joshua versus Francis Ngannou.

Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion, surprised in his October boxing debut by dropping WBC heavyweight champ Tyson Fury and taking him to a split decision. As a result, the WBC ranked Ngannou No. 10 in the division. And he won big without lifting a finger on Saturday.

Since his loss to Fury, Ngannou has targeted lucrative boxing matches against Wilder and Joshua. His MMA promoter, the Professional Fighters League (PFL), has expressed particular interest in a mixed-rules bout between Ngannou and Wilder. But when Joshua and Wilder signed on for their separate Dec. 23 fights and appeared to be on a collision course themselves, Ngannou became the odd man out. It seemingly would be a while before a big opportunity for Ngannou came to fruition.

That all changes with Joshua-Wilder going up in flames. As soon as Joshua beat Wallin, Ngannou promptly and intentionally called out the Brit:

Ngannou's manager also tried to get the ball rolling, recognizing that a sudden opportunity had emerged:

For Joshua, a matchup with Ngannou fills the void of the Wilder fight. The former WBA, IBF, and WBO heavyweight champion lost out on one blockbuster matchup thanks to Wilder's dull performance, but there's another sitting right in front of him.

Of course, Filip Hrgovic is the other logical opponent for Joshua. Hrgovic won via first-round knockout on Saturday's undercard, and Hearn said Joshua could face him next. With Hrgovic ranked No. 1 by the IBF and Joshua likely No. 2, that fight would be for the vacant IBF heavyweight title if the winner of the Feb. 17 undisputed title bout between Fury and Oleksandr Usyk relinquishes that belt - as expected - to pursue an immediate rematch.

Hearn, who's the head of Matchroom Boxing and one of the best promoters in the game, was adamant that Joshua wants to become a three-time champion, meaning a title fight against Hrgovic is the preferred option. But this is prizefighting. Joshua agreed to face Wilder in a non-title bout already, so let's not pretend the 34-year-old is above accepting a high-profile crossover fight against a former UFC champion if it'll put a lot of money in his bank account.

As a household name in the MMA world and a budding star in the sweet science, Ngannou is a more lucrative opponent for Joshua than Hrgovic. A fight between Joshua and Ngannou draws interest from both the boxing and MMA communities and is a genuine pay-per-view blockbuster. Meanwhile, Hrgovic is a solid heavyweight but doesn't have much name value, even among casual boxing fans. (For instance, Hrgovic has less than 90,000 followers on Instagram, whereas Ngannou has over six million.)

Plus, Joshua can still win another world title if he opts for the Ngannou fight. A win over Ngannou could even lead to even bigger and more lucrative opportunities. Maybe it would set up the long-awaited fight with Fury (if Fury beats Usyk) and a chance to wear the WBC, WBO, and WBA heavyweight belts.

As for Ngannou, Joshua is undoubtedly the biggest fight for him right now. Though "The Predator" is expected to fight in MMA sometime in 2024 to fulfill his contractual obligations with the PFL, he seems to be all-in on this boxing thing. And why not go for it? His narrow defeat at the hands of Fury in October put him on the radar of every combat sports fan. Many think Ngannou struck gold by moving to boxing, and a fight against Joshua will reveal whether this is indeed his future or he was simply a one-hit wonder.

Joshua's stock is the highest it's been in a long time, and Ngannou's has never been higher. This matchup is bigger than it was one year ago, two months ago, and a mere three days ago. It's a no-brainer for both men.