Anthony Joshua might be approaching his final year in professional boxing as the quest for his next adversary continues.
Following elbow surgery in May, AJ is recovering and getting ready for his first training camp ahead of his upcoming fight. This will be his first match since his defeat against Daniel Dubois last September.
His promoter, Eddie Hearn, indicated that a comeback fight is planned for between October and December, with Dillian Whyte, 37, initially considered the primary opponent.
However, Whyte is now reportedly close to finalizing an agreement to fight the 20-year-old British prospect Moses Itauma on August 16th in Saudi Arabia instead.
This development makes the returning Deontay Wilder another potential opponent for Joshua, who according to some estimations, might be entering his last year in boxing.
Speaking to DAZN, Hearn commented, “To be honest, Dillian Whyte was probably the frontrunner. But now it appears he`s going to fight Moses, which was a bit of a curveball.”
Jared Anderson has also been mentioned as a possibility, and of course, Deontay Wilder is expected back soon.
Hearn estimates that AJ will have been out of the ring for just over a year by the time his return fight takes place.
He`ll be returning after surgery, and Hearn doesn`t believe Tyson Fury will be ready to fight around that timeframe anyway.
“However,” Hearn continued, “I anticipate the opponent will be someone who helps him prepare for a truly significant fight in 2026. It`s likely that 2026 will be his final year in the sport.”
Wilder`s recent performances include a knockout loss to Zhilei Zhang, 42, last summer, following a points defeat by Joseph Parker, 33, in December 2023.
The 39-year-old is set to make his return to the ring on June 27th in Kansas against the less-known Tyrrell Herndon (24-5), a fight where he could potentially rebuild momentum for another shot at facing AJ.
Hearn added that an AJ-Wilder fight remains a massive attraction, suggesting that Joshua`s loss to Dubois might make the matchup seem more appealing or achievable.
“Especially if Wilder can secure a convincing win upon his return.”
Tyson Fury, 36, was defeated twice by Oleksandr Usyk, 38, last year. He announced his retirement in January, a month after his loss in the rematch.
Despite this, Hearn maintains hope that the unpredictable `Gypsy King` will return to face Joshua, potentially setting up two significant farewell fights for AJ.
Hearn stated, “It`s probably about three fights away for AJ. In my view, if I were advising AJ, he`d return this year, have two fights against Tyson Fury, and what else is left to accomplish?”
“Perhaps a fight against Daniel Dubois, but personally, once AJ fights Tyson Fury, he will have largely achieved everything.”
“I would love for him to have another shot at Daniel Dubois and another crack at Usyk, but at some point, you just keep going indefinitely.”
“Now, if we reach next year and he is still performing at his peak, then 2026 wouldn`t necessarily be his final year.”
“However, to me, it feels fitting for him to return this year, defeat Tyson Fury twice, and then retire gracefully.”