Anthony Joshua’s path to redemption may soon see him square off with either Daniel Dubois or Tyson Fury, according to his promoter, Eddie Hearn.
The British heavyweight Joshua, now 35, endured a tough setback in September when IBF world champion Dubois stopped him at Wembley Stadium.
The high-stakes showdown saw Joshua suffer his fourth career defeat in front of a record-breaking crowd of 96,000 British fans, as Dubois, 27, managed to drop him several times before securing the fifth-round stoppage.
With speculation mounting, Hearn has made it clear that Joshua’s next opponent will be either Dubois or Fury. “We’re going to fight Dubois or Fury next. That’s it. No other interest or warm-up,” Hearn told BBC Sport.
Fury, who has been linked to a potential super-fight with Joshua for years, is preparing for his own high-profile battle. He’s set to challenge unified champion Oleksandr Usyk on December 21, after losing to the Ukrainian champion in May.
This upcoming bout could shape the heavyweight landscape significantly, especially as Joshua remains keenly interested in a showdown with Fury.
Hearn shared that despite the recent loss, Joshua’s position in the heavyweight scene is still favorable.
“It’s weird saying it after a knockout defeat, but AJ is actually in a really good position,” Hearn remarked.
Discussions around a rematch with Dubois have picked up, with a potential date of February 22 in Saudi Arabia.
However, the Matchroom promoter noted that Joshua’s readiness for such a rapid turnaround could be an issue.
“AJ desperately wants revenge, but the only issue is timing,” he said, adding, “For the rematch to happen in February, training camp will have to start in a couple of weeks. There are always niggles, and he had a few, so physically it’s just a case of whether AJ is ready to do that.”
If the rematch does not materialize, Joshua could wait for the result of Fury’s rematch with Usyk before making his next move.
Hearn acknowledged the potential frustration of committing to Dubois only to see Fury emerge as an option.
“It would be frustrating if we made the Dubois rematch and Fury won. Then we’re sitting there going, ‘hang on a minute, we’re fighting Dubois, but we could have fought Fury in May for the biggest fight in boxing,'” Hearn explained.
Regardless of the outcome, Hearn is confident that a showdown with Fury will eventually come to fruition. “Win or lose, we can fight Fury next summer. But if he wins, AJ fights him for the world title,” Hearn concluded.
With so many variables at play, Joshua’s next move will have significant implications for the heavyweight division, and fans are eagerly waiting to see how this journey unfolds.
