Anthony Joshua should target heavyweight with 97.67% KO rate if Tyson Fury stays retired

Anthony Joshua should be looking at facing another formidable heavyweight if the Tyson Fury fight doesn’t happen.

Joshua has some big names on his resume, holding wins against the likes of Wladimir Klitschko, Dillian Whyte, Francis Ngannou, and more.

The 35-year-old was aiming for a blockbuster all-British showdown against Tyson Fury in 2025. Fury, though, announced his retirement earlier this year. So now, he seemingly must look elsewhere.

Joshua remains a superstar name and a big draw in the heavyweight division. He could still land some major fights even if the Fury showdown doesn’t take place.

Deontay Wilder should be on Anthony Joshua’s radar if Tyson Fury doesn’t return

Joshua should look to fight Deontay Wilder should the Fury fight fail to materialise.

Joshua, Fury, and Wilder are three of the most notable heavyweights of the past decade. Between them, the trio has held multiple world titles.

Fury and Wilder have given fans a memorable trilogy, with the first fight ending in a draw and ‘The Gypsy King’ winning the other two via knockout.

Joshua, however, has never fought either Fury or Wilder. ‘AJ’ suffered a vicious knockout loss to Daniel Dubois in his last fight in September 2024.

There are other potential opponents for Joshua as well, like Agit Kabayel or a Joseph Parker rematch. Fighting an up-and-comer like Kabayel is a lose-lose for ‘AJ’. On the other hand, he has already beaten Parker once.

The Wilder fight, though, could be a legacy builder, even if it’s perhaps a bit too late. Like Joshua and Fury, Wilder is a former heavyweight champion.

The Alabama native is currently on a decline, but he is arguably the scariest knockout artist in boxing history. Wilder has earned a ludicrous 42 of his 43 wins by knockout.

At 39, Wilder is no longer the fighter he once was, but neither is Joshua. The pair, however, could still attract a lot of fans if they square off against each other.

Joshua vs Wilder is a fight that fans have wanted to see for a long time. Both fighters could potentially secure a big payday and walk off into the sunset.

How does Anthony Joshua compare to Deontay Wilder?

Given Wilder wins his next fight, a Joshua fight at the end of the year would be ideal. Statistically, he and Joshua could make for an enticing fight as both are known for their knockout prowess.

Wilder, meanwhile, has lost four of his last five fights. He was brutally finished by Zhilei Zhang in his last fight. ‘The Bronze Bomber’, one of the greatest knockout artists of the modern era, returns to action on June 27 against Tyrrell Anthony Herndon.

Joshua is currently nursing an elbow injury and had to go under the knife. Promoter Eddie Hearn expects ‘AJ’ to return to training in six weeks. He thinks Joshua could potentially fight in October or November.

Whoever Joshua faces next could make or break him – so he needs to make it count.

Former WBA super middleweight champion George Groves believes Tyson Fury’s decision to retire in January is unlikely to be permanent, and that Anthony Joshua’s recent struggles could prompt Fury’s return to the ring.

In an interview with Express via Lottoland boxing betting, Groves expressed confidence that Fury will return once Joshua recovers from injury or surgery, predicting the bout could take place later this year, possibly in Saudi Arabia. “They’ve both been boxing their entire lives.

They’ve earned enough and achieved plenty, but they won’t leave the table while there’s still something left for them. They’ll fight each other, and I’d like to see it,” Groves said.

Groves also addressed Fury’s multiple retirements, stressing that the 36-year-old’s announcement should not be taken at face value. “He’s retired five times now, so we know retirement means nothing,” Groves said.

“There are benefits to retiring. You don’t have to live like an athlete anymore or adhere to British Boxing Board of Control requirements. He’s got no belt to be stripped, and if he comes out of retirement, as he’s done before, it might add value and excitement to the fight.”

Evaluating the potential clash between the two heavyweights, Groves described the fight as a genuine “pick ’em” contest. “Fury’s heavier, more agile, better boxing IQ, faster hands,” he said, but believes Joshua remains a formidable athlete, renowned for his powerful punches and extensive big-fight experience.

“I disagree with Froch, I don’t think it’s a walkover. Joshua is still a great athlete, punches ridiculously hard, and has loads of big-fight experience. It comes down to who performs on the night, who wants it more, who’s got the most left.”

Groves also reflected on Joshua’s dramatic knockout loss to Daniel Dubois, describing it as a significant blow to the former heavyweight champion’s career. “Joshua’s last loss to Daniel Dubois was pretty devastating.

Dubois got it right that night; he jumped on Joshua, who probably wanted to ease into the fight.”

Many feel the long-awaited heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua could finally take place this year.

‘The Gypsy King’ announced his retirement from boxing in January, after suffering a second consecutive defeat to unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in their rematch just weeks before this. However, given it is his fourth time leaving the sport, there is a general feeling a ‘comeback’ is round the corner.

As for Joshua, the 35-year-old from Watford now finds himself at a crossroads in his career, stemming from the shock knockout defeat he suffered to domestic rival and reigning IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium last September.

Speaking on his Youtube channel, Froch On Fighting, former unified super-middleweight champion Carl Froch gave an assessment of the potential domestic battle, stating ‘The Gypsy King’ would ‘run rings’ around the two-time unified heavyweight champion.

“After Joshua got absolutely ironed out by Dubois, and look how good Fury looked against Usyk in that rematch, I think that Fury runs rings around AJ mentally and just physically. More ability, but mentally going into the ring, I think AJ would struggle badly with that fight, but that’s just my opinion for what it’s worth.”

Joshua has recently underwent successful elbow surgery and will be fully fit to return from September onwards. Should Fury remain in retirement, as he is adamant he will do, potential fights for ‘AJ’ could include a rematch with Dillian Whyte or another long-awaited clash against fellow former champion Deontay Wilder.

Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury is a ’50/50′ pick ’em as Gypsy King’s retirement dismissed

Tyson Fury announced his retirement from boxing in January, but many are still holding out hope that the Gypsy King will return to the ring to face Anthony Joshua

English boxing icons George Groves and Ricky Hatton agree that Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury is a pick ’em fight.

After Fury announced his fifth retirement from boxing in January, the chances of a fight materializing seemed bleak. Yet, given his history of walking away from the sport and later returning, fans remain skeptical about his decision to call it quits.

While former British champion Carl Froch recently dubbed the fight a “total mismatch” in Fury’s favor should a bout come to fruition, former WBA super-lightweight champion Groves doesn’t see it the same way. Speaking to Express.co.uk via Lottoland, boxing betting, Groves said: “Joshua’s last loss to Daniel Dubois was pretty devastating.

“Dubois got it right that night, he jumped on Joshua, who probably wanted to ease into the fight. He wasn’t able to, and he got knocked out badly, on the biggest stage, at the tail end of his career. That’s serious mileage.

“But Fury’s also had back-to-back losses, maybe three if you include the [Francis] Ngannou fight, which didn’t impress. He was lucky to get the decision. Then he lost twice to [Oleksandr] Usyk.

“That’s probably just as mentally draining as Joshua’s loss to Dubois. I think it’s a pick ’em fight. Fury’s heavier, more agile, better boxing IQ, faster hands. Joshua is still a great athlete, punches ridiculously hard, and has loads of big-fight experience. It comes down to who performs on the night, who wants it more, who’s got the most left. I disagree with Froch – I don’t think it’s a walkover.”

Former light-welterweight champion Hatton, meanwhile, shared a similar stance in conversation with Vegas Insider. He said: “It’s a tough one, I think it’s 50/50, I wouldn’t say either would be the favourite.

“AJ, the way he was in the corner even before he was knocked out, was a little bit casual, and I think he took Daniel Dubois lightly. He was that convinced before the fight, going into the fight, and even during the fight.

“He’s very laid back so maybe I am giving him a bit of a disservice, but he did look like he thought he was the better man and just needed to turn up to beat Daniel…I know he is a laid-back type but I think he took his eye off the ball with Daniel and you can’t do something like that with Daniel.”

After a contentious split-decision victory over Francis Ngannou in 2023, Fury experienced consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024. These were the first two defeats of his professional career and also cost him the opportunity to achieve undisputed heavyweight glory.

With the WBC, WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO, and The Ring heavyweight titles at stake, Fury narrowly lost to the undefeated Ukrainian via split-decision in May 2024. Then, just four days before Christmas, Usyk confirmed his superiority with a unanimous decision win over the Gypsy King in an immediate rematch.

At the start of the new year, Fury announced his retirement from boxing on social media. However, Groves isn’t convinced that the 36-year-old is truly done with the sport. He added: “He’s retired five times now, so we know retirement means nothing.

“There are benefits to retiring. You don’t have to live like an athlete anymore or adhere to British Boxing Board of Control requirements. He’s got no belt to be stripped, and if he comes out of retirement, as he’s done before, it might add value and excitement to the fight.

“I’m almost certain he’ll fight Anthony Joshua once Joshua recovers from injury or elbow surgery. That’ll probably be later this year, likely in Saudi Arabia. They’re both prize fighters.

“They’ve both been boxing their entire lives. They’ve earned enough and achieved plenty, but they won’t leave the table while there’s still something left for them. They’ll fight each other – and I’d like to see it.”

Speculation with regards to a showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua has been rife after the Gypsy King announced his retirement from boxing in January

George Groves agrees with Ricky Hatton that Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua is a pick ’em fight.

The Gypsy King poured water on any hopes of a showdown with his long-time rival in January when he announced his retirement from boxing, but as Fury has retired five times in total now, many fight fans have understandably taken his most recent step-back with a pinch of salt.

Despite both achieving world championship status at heavyweight and being on a collision course for most of their respective careers, Fury and AJ have never managed to set a date to meet in the squared circle. And while Carl Froch last month said that it would be a “total mismatch” in Fury’s favour should a fight come to fruition in the near future, former WBA super middleweight champion Groves sees it differently.

In an exclusive interview with Express via Lottoland, boxing betting, Groves said: “Joshua’s last loss to Daniel Dubois was pretty devastating. Dubois got it right that night, he jumped on Joshua, who probably wanted to ease into the fight.

“He wasn’t able to, and he got knocked out badly, on the biggest stage, at the tail end of his career. That’s serious mileage.

“But Fury’s also had back-to-back losses, maybe three if you include the [Francis] Ngannou fight, which didn’t impress. He was lucky to get the decision.

“Then he lost twice to [Oleksandr] Usyk. That’s probably just as mentally draining as Joshua’s loss to Dubois. I think it’s a pick ’em fight. Fury’s heavier, more agile, better boxing IQ, faster hands.

“Joshua is still a great athlete, punches ridiculously hard, and has loads of big-fight experience. It comes down to who performs on the night, who wants it more, who’s got the most left. I disagree with Froch – I don’t think it’s a walkover.”

It comes as Stockport-born former light welterweight champion, Hatton, agreed that it would be a tough fight to call. Speaking to Vegas Insider, the 46-year-old said: “It’s a tough one, I think it’s 50/50, I wouldn’t say either would be the favourite.

“AJ, the way he was in the corner even before he was knocked out, was a little bit casual, and I think he took Daniel Dubois lightly. He was that convinced before the fight, going into the fight, and even during the fight.

“He’s very laid back so maybe I am giving him a bit of a disservice, but he did look like he thought he was the better man and just needed to turn up to beat Daniel…I know he is a laid-back type but I think he took his eye off the ball with Daniel and you can’t do something like that with Daniel.”

Off the back of a controversial split-decision win over Francis Ngannou in 2023, Fury suffered back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024, not only seeing the first two defeats of his professional career, but also missing out on the chance to taste undisputed glory at heavyweight.

With the WBC, WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO and The Ring heavyweight titles on the line, Fury narrowly missed out to the undefeated Ukrainian via split-decision in May 2024, before Usyk erased any doubts whatsoever by securing a unanimous decision win over the Gypsy King in an instant rematch just four days before Christmas.

Fury then took to social media at the turn of the year to announce his retirement from the sport. However, Groves isn’t convinced that the 36-year-old is truly finished with the sport. He added: “He’s retired five times now, so we know retirement means nothing.

“There are benefits to retiring. You don’t have to live like an athlete anymore or adhere to British Boxing Board of Control requirements. He’s got no belt to be stripped, and if he comes out of retirement, as he’s done before, it might add value and excitement to the fight.

“I’m almost certain he’ll fight Anthony Joshua once Joshua recovers from injury or elbow surgery. That’ll probably be later this year, likely in Saudi Arabia. They’re both prize fighters.

“They’ve both been boxing their entire lives. They’ve earned enough and achieved plenty, but they won’t leave the table while there’s still something left for them. They’ll fight each other – and I’d like to see it.”