Anthony Joshua is training hard to stay ready for his return to the ring in 2025. The former two-time heavyweight champion Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) still hasn’t picked out an opponent for his next fight, but it’s believed he’s waiting for Tyson Fury to announce that he’s coming out of retirement.

Fury Watch

Promoter Eddie Hearn says Fury is the one they want, but they’re also interested in a rematch with IBF champion Daniel Dubois. Joshua, 35, wants to avenge his fifth-round loss to Dubois from last summer on September 21st. The two fought in front of a big crowd at Wembley Stadium in London. Losing in front of all those fans was a disappointment for AJ, as he let them down.

If Fury doesn’t unretire soon, Joshua will need to decide whether to continue to wait or stay busy fighting one of the top contenders. Deontay Wilder is another guy who Hearn is interested in fighting Joshua. Andy Ruiz Jr. is interested in a trilogy with Joshua, and that’s a fight that would attract a lot of interest.

Joshua’s options

– Daniel Dubois
– Tyson Fury
– Andy Ruiz Jr
– Deontay Wilder
– Derek Chisora
– Dillian Whyte
– Martin Bakole

Hearn hasn’t sounded excited about Joshua fighting Bakole. It could be that he feels that the fight wouldn’t sell to the UK market because Bakole isn’t well-known to casual boxing fans. It’s also a risky fight for Joshua because he’s coming off a four-knockdown, fifth-round KO loss to Dubois. Fighting a dangerous puncher like Bakole in his first fight back sounds like a bad idea.

The 39-year-old Wilder is also a risky fight, and he might be more trouble than he’s worth at this stage of his career. It’s too late in the game for a fight between Joshua and Deontay to be worth pursuing.

Training never stops for Anthony Joshua 🥊

[🎥 @anthonyjoshua] pic.twitter.com/RbCaoM7uvd

— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) February 17, 2025