Promoter Eddie Hearn says Anthony Joshua will be fighting next in the first quarter of 2025, in May or June. First, Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) will await the outcome of the December 21 rematch between joint heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury before making a decision.
When Will Joshua Fight Next?
Matchroom promoter Hearn told DAZN that Joshua will return in May or June. Assuming Fury is going to get beaten by Usyk again, Hearn will need to find a softer opponent for Joshua to fight unless he wants to make a Joshua-Fury match in that tough situation. As the fighters come out defeated, the match will be laughed at by the fans, and will not be taken seriously.
You’d like to think Joshua and Fury would prefer to get a win under their belts before meeting, but I doubt it. The smell of money it would be too much for both of them not to hold their game, especially if their confidence is gone. Fury has already lost his swagger after being beaten by Usyk earlier on May 18, and the excuses are clear signs that, mentally, he is full of doubts.
Hearn has been delaying a decision on Joshua’s next fight since his knockout loss to IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois on September 21. How the young lion Dubois defeated Joshua made it difficult for Hearn and AJ to push for a rematch.
When Joshua lost to Andy Ruiz Jr on June 1, 2019, AJ and Hearn agreed to an immediate rematch. The same is true when Joshua lost to Usyk for the first time on September 25, 2021. This time, as Joshua was knocked out by Dubois, 27, it is different. Hearn and Joshua are not willing to take it back with Dubois. It is very dangerous.
The chances of success are slim, and it would permanently derail the Fury war if it ever existed. Honorable Turki Alalshikh says that a fight between AJ and Fury is still possible if one or both of them lose, but it would still be a bad look on the part of this British fight to go into the match with one of them losing.
It makes sense for Joshua to expect a rematch of Usyk-Fury 2 because the fight fans want to see is between him and Fury. That war will bring in a lot of money and generate interest all over the world.
The bad news is that the 36-year-old Fury (34-1-1, 24 KOs) may lose to WBA, WBC, and WBO heavyweight champion Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs) on December 21, so much has been spoiled. with interest in the match against Joshua.
Dubois Loss and Recurrent Anxiety
Dubois dropped Joshua four times, once in the 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th rounds, to earn a knockout on September 21 at Wembley Stadium in London. The way Dubois destroyed Joshua it would be a bad business move for him and Hearn to fight him again.
There is too much money on the line for Joshua with the Fury match and other fights for him to give up his career against Dubois a second time.
If Joshua was younger, he could use the safety style of Wladimir Klitschko and the outbox Dubois, but not at the age of 35. He is too old to change his style of fighting in this game, as he did in his rematch with out-of-form Andy Ruiz on December 7, 2019.
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