Anthony Joshua’s career has played out like a rollercoaster. Except, he isn’t experiencing any exhilarating highs at the moment. He also isn’t undergoing any head-scratching lows either.

For The Ring’s No. 7 ranked heavyweight, he needs a reason to get out of bed in the morning. Fighting some run-of-the-mill fighter won’t cut it, so Eddie Hearn, his longtime promoter, won’t bother putting him in with a no-name. There aren’t many fighters that will get his engine revving but Hearn does believe that there are a select few that can get him going.

“Deontay Wilder, Dillian Whyte, Martin Bakole,” guessed Hearn to Seconds Out when asked which fighters would motivate Joshua.

Each of those aforementioned names brings a different element to the table. Whyte would be looking to even the score after getting stopped by Joshua in 2015. Bakole is one of the newer faces in the division and Wilder, of course, has been in the same orbit as Joshua for years.

From Hearn’s point of view, the marketability would be there and so would the hunger from Joshua...for the most part.

It’s not that a lackadaisical Joshua would show up against any of them but if fans, critics, and media members wanted to see the best version of the former unified champion, there are only two fighters he should be signing up for.

“For me, the ones that really get him up are Tyson Fury and the winner of Dubois against (Joseph) Parker.”

Daniel Dubois, just a few months ago, brutally stopped Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) and prevented him from becoming once again, a heavyweight champion. Fury, on the other hand, took off his gloves, packed his bags, and announced his retirement, something Hearn isn’t exactly buying.

Regardless of who ultimately gets the call, Joshua isn’t expected to follow in Fury’s footsteps.

“We’re gonna fight again. AJ wants to fight. He’s still in love with the sport.”