Once again here we are, with Anthony Joshua on the brink of that blockbusting showdown vs Tyson Fury.
The two British heavyweight behemoths have been here before, remember, in 2021 and then in 2022 they almost met inside a boxing ring.
All fight fans hope it is a case of third time lucky with Joshua now lined up to face the winner of that Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk unification battle. He put himself in pole position with a massively impressive two-round demolition of Francis Ngannou in Riyadh last Friday night.
That is now four wins from four fights for a rejuvenated AJ since back-to-back losses to Usyk in 2021 and 2022, and he looks once again like the devastating finisher of old under new head trainer Ben Davison.
Joshua though must wait a little while longer before finding out if he’ll face Fury or Usyk – specifically because those two men have a two-fight deal. They will meet for a first time on May 18 with the undisputed heavyweight world title on the line, before a contracted rematch.
So in reality it could be 2025 before any Fury vs Joshua megafight could take place. So what will AJ do in the meantime?
What comes next for Joshua?
Promoter Eddie Hearn spoke at length to IFL TV in the aftermath of Joshua’s brilliant win over Ngannou, and explained what likely happens.
He said: “Josh wants to be active really, but at the same time he has boxed four times in 11 months. So at some point, going back to the gym ASAP, the body starts breaking down, you pick up little injuries. He did two rounds, but he had another long camp.
“We’ll sit down with Freddie [Cunningham] and AJ and the team and plan out what’s next. He won’t fight before, I don’t see him fighting before the end of June. So does he fight in July/August, then again in November/December? I think May 18th will tell us a lot about the plans of Anthony Joshua.”
The relevance of May 18 is huge of course, as following that first Fury vs Usyk the smart money is on the IBF heavyweight title becoming vacant. That would leave mandatory contender Filip Hrgovic and AJ (next in the rankings) potentially set to battle for the open strap.
While Joshua will want to remain active, especially given the form he is in right now, every fight now ahead of a potential Fury showdown or Usyk trilogy comes with risk. We’ve been there before, let’s hope nothing gets in the way this time…
