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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.

Anthony Joshua Offered Dangerous Fight That Would Fast Track Him Back To World Title Shot

Anthony Joshua is looking to plot his way back to the top of the heavyweight division one more time.

Joshua has been a huge star on the world scene over the last decade. His journey started soon after winning a gold medal in the London Olympics and he rose quickly through the pro ranks, collecting world honours on the way.

His first title came in 2016 when he beat Charles Martin inside two rounds for the IBF belt, and then unified against Wladimir Klitschko in an epic battle at Wembley Stadium which involved both men being knocked down.

He added the WBO title with a points win in 2018 when he was taken the distance for the first time by Joseph Parker, and since then there have been plenty of ups and downs.

In June 2019 he took his first loss when he was stopped by late stand-in Andy Ruiz, but won the belts back in a rematch later that year.

In 2021 and 2022, he went into back-to-back fights with Oleksandr Usyk and came out with no belts after losing both contests on points.

Following another rebuild he went into another world title shot against Daniel Dubois in September 2024 but was stopped inside five rounds, and is currently on the sidelines waiting to make his next move.

Anthony Joshua 

Speaking to The Ariel Helwani Show, it was put to Parker, who is the interim WBO champion, that a Joshua rematch was a good option now given that Usyk and Dubois are likely to pursue an undisputed fight.

“Let’s push for it. I agree. As we focus on my career, I think those three names will be next in line. I think [Joshua] would accept the fight with me. It would be a very different fight to 2018. We’re both older, maturer, wiser. The fighter that I was before, sometimes I look back and go ‘who is that guy?’”

Whoever beats Parker – who recently knocked out late replacement opponent Martin Bakole in two rounds – will become the WBO number one and first in line for a shot against current champion Usyk.

The one fight Joshua and the rest of the boxing world wanted to see was against Tyson Fury, but he retired at the end of January after his own pair of losses to Usyk.

Former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has dealt a significant blow to Anthony Joshua’s hopes of a blockbuster showdown after admitting he “can’t be f***ed” with boxing, casting further doubt on his potential return to the ring despite recent rankings speculation.

The 36-year-old “Gypsy King,” who announced his retirement in January following his second consecutive defeat to unified champion Oleksandr Usyk, appears content with life away from the sport according to his cousin and trainer Andy Lee.

“(It’s) just the odd message here and there and he seems very happy. (He said), ‘Andy I’m not f****d.’ That’s what he said. ‘I couldn’t be f****d with it.’

“He’s very happy. As bad as it sounds, it depends what the figure is for Tyson. It has to motivate him to come out of retirement. He seems very happy,” Lee told iFL TV.

Fury’s latest retirement – at least his fifth during his illustrious career – had initially been taken with a pinch of salt by boxing fans and industry insiders, particularly after The Ring Magazine surprisingly reinstated him at number one in their heavyweight rankings last month despite his announced departure from the sport.

 Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua

The British fighter’s inclusion in the prestigious rankings, placing him behind only unified champion Usyk but ahead of IBF champion Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker, had fuelled speculation about a potential comeback for a long-awaited £200 million showdown with bitter rival Joshua.

Saudi boxing supremo Turki Alalshikh has made no secret of his desire to stage the all-British heavyweight clash that has been years in the making.

Speaking to The Stomping Ground, Alalshikh revealed, “I want Tyson (next for Joshua). I spoke with him, but I didn’t talk about boxing. I just check about his health and his family. I think maybe he’ll return. Yes, (I think he will return), I hope so.”

Joshua, who has climbed from seventh to fifth in The Ring’s heavyweight rankings despite not fighting since his knockout defeat to Dubois at Wembley last September, has expressed interest in facing his long-time rival.

“I feel like it’s the best fight (for me),” Joshua told iFL TV.

“People might say Parker, people might say – I don’t know. But I think Fury, commercially, is a great fight and it’s a great man’s fight as well. So I think it makes sense.”

“You could say it’s been years in the making. But listen, the heavyweight division has been thriving. And why I say it’s probably still a great fight is as I said Parker is, for me, a great story of someone that never gives up. And the thing is, there is going to be one winner and one loser. And there’s going to be blood shed. And it ain’t gonna be mine.”

Joshua’s future remains uncertain after turning down the chance to fight Dubois for a second time, citing fitness concerns. With Dubois now focused on securing a rematch with Usyk after their 2023 clash, Joshua appears to be temporarily out in the cold.