Anthony Joshua's next fight will be against either Daniel Dubois or Tyson Fury, as confirmed by his promoter Eddie Hearn. Despite Joshua's recent fourth career defeat at the hands of Dubois during their match at Wembley Stadium, where he was stopped in the fifth round, Hearn emphasized that Joshua remains in a favorable position moving forward. “It’s weird saying it after a knockout defeat, but AJ is actually in a really good position,” Hearn stated in an interview with BBC Sport.
Hearn made it clear that there will be no warm-up fights for Joshua; the focus is entirely on either Dubois or Fury. Dubois, who dropped Joshua multiple times before the fight was halted, is expected to return to the ring on February 22 in Saudi Arabia. Hearn noted that while Joshua is eager for revenge against Dubois, the timing of a rematch could be a challenge, particularly regarding Joshua's physical readiness for such a quick turnaround.
As for Fury, he is scheduled to face unified champion Oleksandr Usyk on December 21, following his loss to Usyk earlier this year. Hearn mentioned that if Fury wins, it could complicate Joshua’s path, as he would potentially face Fury for the world title next summer. He expressed concern about the implications of scheduling a Dubois rematch before knowing the outcome of Fury's fight.
Hearn highlighted the strategic considerations at play, stating, “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.'” Regardless of the outcome, Hearn remains optimistic about securing a high-stakes match for Joshua in the near future.
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