Anthony Joshua: Before Retirement Eddie Hearn Reveals 3-Opponent Shortlist For Anthony Joshua’s Next Fight
Anthony Joshua: Eddie Hearn has revealed a three-man shortlist for Anthony Joshua’s comeback fight – and a showdown with long-time rival Tyson Fury is not on the agenda.
Anthony Joshua was last seen in the ring in a fifth-round KO loss to compatriot Daniel Dubois as a devastating right-hand saw ‘AJ’ taken out in brutal fashion. ‘Dynamite’ Dubois floored the former two-time world heavyweight champion four times in their meeting at Wembley Stadium last September whilst adding a fourth loss to AJ’s record.
Ever since that setback, Joshua has been on the sidelines being treated for an injury to his elbow that required surgery and prevented a summer comeback. However, although those plans had to be scrapped, Hearn still expects to see his top fighter back in action before the end of 2025
The Matchroom boss has previously admitted that he doesn’t expect Joshua to fight beyond the end of 2026, indicating that the Watford-born man could have just three bouts left in his career.
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Boxing fans around the world have waited for years to see Joshua and Fury finally settle the score. Despite rumours that 2025 might finally be the year when the pair step into the ring, ‘The Gypsy King’ is seemingly not under consideration as AJ’s next foe – not least because he insists that he is still retired from the sport.
With Dubois set to tangle with Oleksandr Usyk on the 19th of July, both reigning heavyweight champions are out of the question, too. When asked about who was in the mix to face Joshua before the end of this year, Hearn explained:
In response to the suggestion by the interviewer that Zhilei Zhang could be a potential suitor, Hearn responded, saying, “It’s not a fight we’ve thought about. He just got beat, but I don’t see a problem with that fight.”
Dillian Whyte, who faces Slovakian-British fighter Moses Itauma on the 16th of August, previously fought AJ some ten years ago, a bout which saw Whyte lose via TKO at the O2 Arena in London. That booking would seem to rule ‘The Body Snatcher’ out of a 2025 rematch with Joshua, although if he was to emerge from that fight relatively unscathed, Joshua vs Whyte 2 might still take place.
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American heavyweight Jared Anderson is very much a contender for the slot, having bounced back from his loss to Martin Bakole with a unanimous decision victory over Marios Kollias earlier this year.
Deontay Wilder is scheduled to face Tyrrell Anthony Herndon at the end of June, a year on from his TKO loss to Zhang. Joshua and Wilder have been lined up to fight on many occasions, but the fight has always fallen apart just when it looked like becoming a reality. If it is ever going to happen, it needs to do so soon.
None of the above fights will see Joshua achieve his goal of becoming a three-time world heavyweight champion. However, a strong performance would either put him in prime position for a shot at Usyk or Dubois or prove the ideal set up for the two bouts with Fury that Hearn is keen to put together in 2026.
