Former heavyweight contender Derek Chisora believes Anthony Joshua is not ready to return to action following his knockout loss to IBF champion Daniel Dubois last September, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Speaking after his victory over Otto Wallin on Saturday, Chisora, who shares management with Joshua through 258 MGT, suggested the British-Nigerian needs more time to recover.

“Who knows? Right now AJ is healing himself after the defeat from Daniel Dubois. He’s not ready yet. When he’s ready he’ll come back and I think he’ll come back – not to fight me but to fight the ‘Gypsy King’,” Chisora said post-fight.

However, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has contradicted these claims, insisting the former two-time heavyweight champion is prepared to begin training camp with six potential opponents in consideration.

“I spoke to AJ yesterday, for the first time in, I dunno a couple of weeks. And he’s ready to start camp, pretty much. We’re going to chat, probably next week, particularly after February 22 and we’re going to choose the next opponent,” Hearn told iFL TV.

The promoter also dismissed reports that Joshua had already signed to face either Martin Bakole or Deontay Wilder in his comeback fight.

“Loads of people were sending it to me, including the media saying, ‘is Bakole-AJ signed?’ And I’m like, ‘Signed? We haven’t even had one conversation about it.’ Then I saw Wilder against AJ was signed for June 7. Not even had one conversation about it.”

Joshua, who has earned over $200m in his career, including $75m from fights in 2024 alone, still has one fight remaining on his lucrative Riyadh Season contract.

Among the potential opponents for his return is the winner of the IBF title fight between champion Dubois and Joseph Parker, scheduled for February 22 in Saudi Arabia, as well as the victor of the WBC interim title clash between Zhilei Zhang and Agit Kabayel on the same night.

“Parker-Dubois winner, Zhang-Kabayel winner, I think could be an option,” Hearn added. “Fury and Dubois are still obviously the two AJ most wants to fight. But he doesn’t have a problem fighting any of them. Honestly, he couldn’t care less. He’ll fight anyone. He’s always been that way.”

Boxing journalist Gareth A Davis recently revealed that Joshua’s team had not engaged in any conversations regarding a potential bout with Bakole, despite claims from the Congolese boxer’s promoter, Ben-Shalom, that the deal was “done” for a fight in Congo.

“I’m hearing from Anthony Joshua’s side there hasn’t even been a conversation. Maybe this is Bakole and his team trying to speak the fight into reality,” Davis told BoxNation.

Matchroom CEO Frank Smith recently told BetFred that Joshua is expected to return to the ring in the summer, while his team continues to explore various options for his comeback fight.

Anthony Joshua has been advised to steer clear of a huge showdown with Martin Bakole despite claims the deal is complete.

Joshua is at a crossroads in his heavyweight career after being brutally knocked out by Daniel Dubois in September, and has yet to pencil in concrete details over a return fight.

AJ was keen to face bitter rival Tyson Fury, but the fight appears now off the cards with the ‘Gypsy King’ having announced his retirement from the sport.

He then faced off with Bakole recently, who issued a video call-out on social media, with a huge showdown in Africa on the table.

Incredibly Bakole’s promoter Ben Shalom told talkSPORT recently that a deal was ‘done’, although it is unclear if Joshua has signed on the dotted line.

It would be a tough test for the former two-time champion, with Bakole considered the avoided boogeyman in the blue-riband division.

In the latest episode of talkBOXING, former boxing icon and now renowned promoter Barry McGuigan, insisted he wouldn’t go near Bakole in the current climate.

“If I was managing Anthony Joshua I wouldn’t go near Martin Bakole,” trainer McGuigan said.

“In my opinion there is only another four fights for Joshua. And in reality, he needs to fight for a title or against Tyson Fury.”

Spencer Oliver, former boxer and talkSPORT pundit interjected and insisted the fight with Bakole makes sense for both fighters.

McGuigan then continued: “But for Anthony Joshua, he has probably earned in the region of £200 million.

“So for him, why would he want that fight? I know Turki Alalshikh has taken away the issue of not enough money being in the pot.

“Those fights we have always wanted to see can happen, people used to use the issue of money, but now that has all been eliminated.

“There is absolutely every chance Bakole could be [a world champion in the next 12 months].

“If he gets a fight against any of those guys he can beat them, he is a nightmare of everybody.”

Joshua has always had a desire to fight in Africa, and Bakole plans to get his native Congo involved with the clash.

Bakole recently defeated Jared Anderson, a promising talent, in dominant fashion to cement his name as a rising challenger.

He will next face Efe Ajagba in May, in an IBF world title eliminator, which could position him closer to the world title mix.

Should he face and beat Joshua, it could be the biggest scalp of his career and send his growing reputation to new unprecedented levels.

On Bakole, McGuigan added: “I think he’s a tremendous talent, the biggest threat in the heavyweight division.

“I think he’s kryptonite for Dubois, and ironically enough for Usyk if he gets in the position to fight for it.

“He’s a real problem, 6ft 6ins, he has fast hands, not a dynamite puncher but has a rock solid chin.

“He throws volume, he can take a shot. But if you hit somebody flat in chin and he takes it, then it’s so deflating.”

Former heavyweight boxing champion – who fought Anthony Joshua – ‘set to have 10 years of results revoked’ after testing positive for banned substance

Former heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin is set to see a decade’s worth of results revoked following an investigation which uncovered the previously unreported presence of a banned substance.

Povetkin, 45 and retired since 2021, tested positive for Ostarine in 2016 leading to him being served with a 1-year suspension before later returning to the sport.

However, as part of a broader probe into systematic doping in Russian sports, the International Testing Agency has uncovered that Povetkin also tested positive for Ostarine back in 2014.

He is now serving a four-year ‘period of ineligibility’ following the investigation.

The International Testing Agency said: ‘After being notified of the case and informed of his procedural rights, the athlete decided not to challenge the anti-doping rule violation.

‘In addition, the athlete’s results from October 25 2014 until the start of the athlete’s provisional suspension on October 21 2024 have been disqualified, including the results obtained during a boxing match held on the night of October 24/25 2014.’