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Former two-time world heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, has hinted at the possibility of a boxing match with YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in 2026, following a recent call-out from the American social media star.

Paul, on his podcast, BS w/ Jake Paul, set his sights on a showdown with Joshua after missing out on a May clash with Canelo Alvarez.

“I want to fight Anthony Joshua,” the 28-year-old said.

“Because I know I will f***ing beat Anthony Joshua’s a**. He doesn’t have a chin and he has no skill and he’s stiff. I love you, Anthony. We’re friends all this s***, but I want to fight you.”

Joshua responded to the callout, posting a photo on his Instagram story of a call between him and Paul, with a cryptic caption which read ‘2026.’

Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, says he spoke to his client and revealed that the British-Nigerian would be open to a clash.

“I look at it and think Jake Paul against Anthony Joshua,” Hearn told Matchroom Boxing.

“For me, we’d do it for the banter. AJ would fight Jake Paul. He’d fight anyone, to be honest with you. If Jake Paul wants to step up and fight Anthony Joshua he’d need the relevant insurance. The only disappointing thing was he said 2026.

“I spoke to AJ this morning and he said, ‘Of course I’d fight him.’ Jake creates massive events. You know that will create unbelievable viewership. No disrespect to Jake Paul, it’s a straightforward night’s work.”

Paul’s controversial bout against former heavyweight world champion, Mike Tyson, 58, in November was watched by 60 million households, according to Netflix, with the Youtuber winning on points.

Paul was seemingly on the verge of securing a Cinco De Mayo showdown with Canelo, before the Mexican great opted to sign a four-fight deal with Turki Alalshikh’s Riyadh Season, which will begin on May 3 against William Scull in a bid for the undisputed super middleweight championship.

According to boxing insider Dan Rafael, an exhibition with lightweight champion, Gervonta Davis, was also explored until his draw with Lamont Roach earlier this month, with the pair set to rematch later this year.

Netflix targeting Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury and Canelo Alvarez super fight in ‘aggressive boxing push’ after Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson success

Netflix are hoping to build on the momentum of Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson with an ‘aggressive push’ into the boxing sphere.

The streaming platform dipped their toes into boxing for the first time in November when they landed the broadcasting rights for the controversial crossover clash.

Despite the action in the ring being massively underwhelming, the event itself was a wild commercial success.

A remarkable 60 million households tuned in to watch Paul beat Tyson via unanimous decision on Netflix, while 50 million viewed the co-main event between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano.

The event, which was staged at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, also shattered the record for the biggest US boxing gate outside of Las Vegas.

Paul vs Tyson’s gate grossed over $18m, double Canelo Alvarez’s $9m receipts for his grudge match with Billy Joe Saunders in 2021 at the same venue.

Netflix are now hoping to make another massive play in the sport.

They recently landed the rights for Taylor and Serrano’s trilogy on July 11.

And, according to Sports Illustrated, they are also targeting Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury and Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford.

While Canelo and Crawford have reportedly signed an agreement for a blockbuster showdown in September, providing the unified super middleweight champion beats William Scull on May 3, Fury vs Joshua is currently off the table.

Fury announced his retirement from professional boxing in January after losing to Oleksandr Usyk for a second time.

Jake Paul and Mike Tyson

Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh was said to be preparing a mammoth two-fight deal for a clash with AJ.

However, those plans have now been put on hold.

Fury has retired before swiftly reversing his decision three times and Alalshikh seemingly hasn’t given up hope that the same will happen again.

“I want Tyson [next for Joshua],” Alalshikh told The Stomping Ground.

“I spoke with him, but I don’t talk about boxing. I just checked about his health and his family.

“I think maybe he’ll return. Yes, [I think he will return], I hope so.”

Fury vs Joshua is no longer the fight it once was when both men held all four-belts in the heavyweight division, but it is still undoubtedly one of the biggest boxing attractions.

It has the potential to draw in even more views than Paul vs Tyson, but organisers will have to get a move on if they hope to get the domestic dust-up over the line.

Joshua is set to return this summer, with his promoter Eddie Hearn recently telling talkSPORT.com that Martin Bakole, Deontay Wilder, Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker are all potential options.

Anthony Joshua has not fought since September 2024 but has been bumped up the world heavyweight rankings.

At this stage, the former two-time world champion is in the autumn of his career. His attempt to become three-time world champion ended in disaster last time out when he was knocked down early and then stopped in the fifth round by IBF world champion Daniel Dubois.

Prior to that he had lost back-to-back fights to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and 2022 but rebuilt with four wins over lower level opposition including Robert Helenius, Jermaine Franklin, Otto Wallin and UFC star turned boxing novice Francis Ngannou.

Right now ‘AJ’ is assessing his options. One possibility is a rematch with Dubois, though many in the boxing world hoped he would finally have a showdown with long time rival Tyson Fury.

Fury put paid to that however when he announced his retirement in early January, just days after his own second straight loss to Usyk – though many believe that was a negotiating tactic to get more money for a fight with ‘AJ.’

Anthony Joshua 

Back in February, Joshua was ranked by the WBC, a belt he has never won, at 5th below Agit Kabayel, Zhilei Zhang, Lawrence Okolie and Matin Bakole.

The rankings have been updated for March and Usyk remains at the top, though Joshua has moved up to the second spot only behind number one Lawrence Okolie, a former WBC cruiserweight champion who has only had one fight at heavyweight. Kabayel now holds the Interim belt, and losses for Bakole and Zhang in February have seen them drop down.

WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman has said he would be open to an interim title fight between ‘AJ’ and Kabayel, meaning the Brit’s best route back to the top may be to roll the dice against the dangerous body puncher and hope for the full title to become vacant when Usyk retires in the near future.

Like the majority of Brits, Amir Khan wants to see Tyson Fury come out of retirement to face Anthony Joshua.

The two rivals have never made it through the ropes together despite walking similar paths to heavyweight glory, often simultaneously.

Although both men have been relieved of their championship belts by elite Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk, the long-awaited clash looked more likely than ever this year with no mandatory commitments, rematch clauses or world title shots on the horizon.

That was until Fury – who was beaten twice in 2024 by Usyk – announced his retirement in January. It left Joshua, coming off a bruising knockout loss to Daniel Dubois, without a big fight on the horizon and now searching for an alternative opponent.

Speaking to the Lancashire Post, former world champion Khan – who had his own all-British showdown with Kell Brook in 2022 – said that fans would see a full twelve should the pair manage to sign the fight, revealing that he backs Fury if his confidence is intact.

“It’ll be a good, close fight. I think it will go the distance, but it will be good to see because both fighters are at a good level. Anthony Joshua has had some good wins (before Daniel Dubois) and looked really good and revived.

“Then you look at Tyson Fury. He has to be in that type of position to make it a close fight with Anthony Joshua. If Fury is still at the top and has all of the confidence, then I think Fury wins that fight all day long. But with the last two fights, it’s even and is a 50/50 fight now.”

Though ‘AJ’s most recent defeat was much less competitive than that of ‘The Gypsy King’s, Khan advised the Morecambe man to have a tune-up fight before the blockbuster clash.

“Mentally, Fury may have been really impacted and that’s normal. I’m not talking bad about him but it’s normal and happened to me.

“When I had that fight loss against Lamont Peterson, mentally I was done. Even though I knew I was a better fighter than Danny Garcia, he beat me and knocked me out. I was outboxing him and destroying him but it’s life.

“I feel Fury needs to come back and have one or two fights and then take the AJ fight. But knowing Fury with the b**** he has got, he will want to jump straight into that fight which would be very hard.”

Joshua is expected to make a decision on his next opponent soon, with promoter Eddie Hearn eyeing a Dubois rematch should Fury stay retired. However, ‘DDD’ has sights set on an undisputed clash with Usyk, perhaps leaving Joshua out in the cold.

Roy Jones Jr is one of many people who would still like to see Anthony Joshua square off with Deontay Wilder.

These two former heavyweight champions of the world were sitting at the top of the division for many years at the same time. They are both big punchers and exciting fighters who put together plenty of high profile knockouts but frustratingly never managed to align with each other and battle it out in the ring.

Recent years have pushed them even further apart as Wilder lost two of his three fights with Tyson Fury, and then his rebuild attempts went the same way as he lost to Joseph Parker and was then stopped by Zhilei Zhang.

That was his last outing last June, and since then, there have been only rumours that he will return.

It was Oleksandr Usyk who dethroned Joshua and last time out in September the Brit was stopped by Daniel Dubois as he attempted to become a three-time world champion.

Speaking to iFL TV, multi-weight world champion and boxing legend Jones Jr felt that Joshua would come out on top were they to fight any time soon.

“That’s a tough fight but I think Joshua has a better chance of winning that fight. I don’t think Joshua is as damaged as Wilder. Wilder with Parker showed he looked like he didn’t really want it so we’ll see what Wilder shows up.”

‘The Bronze Bomber’ has lost four of his last five fights and is now 39-years-old so the clock is very much ticking on his career.

British boxer Tyson Fury has warned Anthony Joshua against a rematch with Daniel Dubois. The two British heavyweights have long been rivals in the sport, providing plenty of drama and excitement in the boxing scene over the past decade. Both have held world titles, but a showdown between the two has never materialized.

Had Joshua defeated Daniel Dubois last year to become a three-time world heavyweight champion, a potential fight with Fury was expected, assuming Fury could get past Oleksandr Usyk in their rematch. However, both fighters suffered losses—Joshua was stopped in the fifth round, and Fury lost by points decision, leading to his surprise retirement from the sport.

With a Fury vs. Joshua fight now off the table, Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has made it clear that a rematch with IBF Champion Dubois is the top priority. While Dubois is likely to face Usyk next for an undisputed title bout, Hearn is hopeful that a fight between Joshua and Dubois could happen this summer.

Speaking to The Stomping Ground, Fury expressed doubts about Joshua’s chances in a rematch with Dubois. “No [he can’t win the rematch]. I don’t think he can. I don’t even think he will take a rematch,” Fury said.

Although there was hope for a Fury vs. Joshua showdown, Fury’s retirement has put that fight on hold for now. Should Dubois face Usyk, Joshua will have to consider other top contenders to stay active and possibly set up a bigger fight later in the year. Names like Joseph Parker and Agit Kabayel, both holding interim titles and ranked highly, could be serious options for Joshua moving forward.

Tony Bellew Makes KO Prediction For Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury: “He’s Not The Better Boxer”

There is still a hope that Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury can finally come to blows in the ring and Tony Bellew has now shared his view on what will happen.

This is one of the biggest fights that could be made in world boxing. The major hurdle to it right now is that Fury is retired, and has been since early January. His announcement came as something of a surprise just weeks after he took his second consecutive defeat to Oleksandr Usyk.

Both contests were close and went the full 12 rounds, but both saw Fury lose on the cards, having initially come up short in their first fight for undisputed honours back in May 2024.

Joshua also twice lost to Usyk but rebuilt well with four straight wins, however he is also coming off a loss. He failed in his attempt to become the IBF world champion when he fell at the fists of Daniel Dubois in their world title fight in September last year.

Speaking to FightLens, former world cruiserweight champion Bellew was asked to predict what would happen if the two Brits did square off.

“I’ve always said it and I’ll stick by it, I just think Anthony Joshua will be forced to let his hands go and he’ll knock out Tyson Fury. Do I think he’s the better fighter? No, but not always the better fighter wins.”

Many hope that Fury’s retirement move is simply a tactic to strengthen his hand for negotiations with Joshua, but as of now he remains retired.

Anthony Joshua In Talks For Huge Summer Fight Against Unexpected Opponent: “Let’s Roll The Dice”

Anthony Joshua is now slated for a summer ring return.

Joshua was last in action in September when he was stopped inside five rounds by IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium.

All signs then pointed towards ‘AJ’ taking on Tyson Fury in a huge all-British clash after Fury had come up short in his two battles with heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk.

Those plans were dashed in January when Fury abruptly announced his retirement, leaving Joshua with no clear next opponent.

Promoter Eddie Hearn has now revealed to IFL TV that initial talks are underway for Joshua’s next bout, making the surprise claim that they are speaking about a rematch with Dubois, despite it seeming like ‘DDD’ was all set for an undisputed showdown with Usyk.

“We’re talking to Queensberry about the potential of Dubois-AJ this summer, the rematch. They’re planning Dubois’ next move as well.

“Some brief conversations with His Excellency about AJ against Wilder, the Parker fight could have potential. At this stage why would you roll the dice against Parker for the interim would title when you could roll the dice against Dubois for the full world title?

“I don’t think there’s any difference in those fights really in terms of the toughness of them. I’d go for Dubois every day of the week. If we can’t get Fury, my advice is to fight Dubois for the world title. I think he [AJ] should do it and I think he will beat Dubois.”

As of January, Joshua is ranked number 7 with the IBF. Dubois does not yet have a mandatory challenger. He was set to defend his IBF title against Parker last month but pulled out of the contest on fight week due to a viral infection and replaced by Martin Bakole, with Parker winning that fight by second round knockout.

Dubois has made it clear that he wants a rematch against Usyk with all four heavyweight belts on the line. The Ukrainian is also pushing for the fight, as is Riyadh Season’s Turki Alalshikh.

Anthony Joshua has no interest in facing Joseph Parker again, according to Parker’s promoter David Higgins, who believes the former two-time heavyweight champion sees the Kiwi as too big a risk.

Joshua, who sat ringside as Parker brutally knocked out Martin Bakole, has yet to respond to calls for a rematch.

But Higgins insists Joshua “wouldn’t take the fight”, arguing that Parker’s recent form makes him an extremely dangerous opponent.

“Joe would jump in with AJ in a heartbeat, but I reckon AJ wouldn’t take the fight,” Higgins told Sky Sports.

“I think AJ is a nice guy and he’s had a good career, but in recent times, he hasn’t looked comfortable in the ring, particularly in that last fight. He didn’t want to be there.”

Parker’s Redemption Arc: From 2018 Defeat to Heavyweight Menace

Parker previously lost to Joshua via unanimous decision in 2018, but his career resurgence has been remarkable.

With consecutive wins over Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang, and now Bakole, the former WBO champion has reestablished himself as one of the most dangerous fighters in the division.

Higgins claims Parker’s fearless attitude sets him apart from other heavyweights, including Joshua.

“The way that Joseph is fighting, it would be a very risky call by AJ and his handlers to jump in the ring with Parker.”

“Most boxers take the lower-risk option, except for Joseph Parker. He takes the highest risk and the toughest option.”

“Fight by fight, Joseph is establishing more credibility, more menace. They’ll all be saying, ‘This guy is dangerous,’ and after the other day, ‘He really is dangerous.’”

“Anywhere, it would be ideal in the summer,” Higgins added.

Parker has been named the mandatory challenger for Oleksandr Usyk’s WBO belt, but Usyk is expected to take a rematch with Daniel Dubois before retiring.

Meanwhile, Parker is eager to fight again within four months, with his team waiting on offers from Saudi organizers and Queensberry Promotions.

While Joshua’s next move remains unclear, Parker’s ferocious comeback has positioned him as a major force in the heavyweight division—one that even AJ might be reluctant to face again.

Former British boxer Amir Khan believes Anthony Joshua should forget about a rematch with Daniel Dubois, declaring that ‘AJ’ was right to turn down an immediate return fight after his devastating knockout defeat last September.

Speaking exclusively to Prime Casino, the fan-favourite boxer said Joshua made a brilliant and smart decision by avoiding an immediate rematch with the powerful IBF Champion.

“I don’t think he should have taken that re-match. It’s the best choice he’s made,” Khan said.

Khan was particularly critical of Joshua’s chances against Dubois, describing him as a bogeyman who perfectly exploited the British Nigerian’s fighting style in their previous encounter.

While acknowledging that Joshua might eventually need to confront Dubois, Khan believes his fellow British boxer is currently better served seeking easier opponents that guarantee significant financial rewards.

“I think he made the right choice by not taking it now but in the future it’s still a fight. And even if he never fights him again, he tried, it happened, we’re all prize fighters and at this time he can make money elsewhere with an easier opponent,” he said.

“You always have that one opponent who is always going to be the bogeyman, who is always going to beat the style that AJ has, and I think that is Dubois. He was punch perfect when I saw that fight.”

Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois

The fight in question saw Joshua suffer a brutal fifth-round stoppage at Wembley, effectively halting his bid to become a three-time world heavyweight champion. Joshua’s team cited injuries and insufficient preparation time when declining an immediate rematch.

Dubois has since moved on, with rumours suggesting he is more likely to rematch Oleksandr Usyk for an undisputed title shot. Meanwhile, Joshua remains without a clear path to a major bout, with Tyson Fury’s retirement further complicating the heavyweight landscape.

The only potential immediate option appears to be Joseph Parker, the WBO Interim Champion, who has expressed willingness to face Joshua again.