Anthony Joshua (28-4, 25KO) hasn’t featured in ring since his humbling knockout defeat to fellow British heavyweight Daniel Dubois (22-2, 21KO) and it looks like we are going to have to wait longer to see AJ back in action.
The 34-year-old recently revealed that he’s scheduled to undergo elbow surgery, which could sideline him until the end of the year.
Despite suffering the fourth loss of his professional career in the IBF World Title bout against Dubois last October, Joshua remains determined to prove he still has plenty to offer at the elite level, and has his sights set on what could be his final run at the summit of the sport.
But who could Joshua face in his return to the ring? Could it be a long-awaited British mega-fight, or perhaps a chance to finally settle the score with one of his old American rivals.
Anthony Joshua Could Face Old Foe Jarrell Miller
Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller was recently scheduled to face Fabio Wardley at his Ipswich homecoming show in June, but after pulling out due to injury, could now be the perfect time for AJ to seek revenge.
The pair were originally set to clash in 2019, but the bout was scrapped after the American failed a drug test, a development that had major consequences for Joshua’s career.
Holding the WBA, WBO, and IBF world titles at the time, Joshua was then scheduled to face late replacement Andy Ruiz in New York, resulting in one of the biggest upsets in boxing history as the Mexican earned a stunning seventh-round stoppage victory.
Although Joshua reclaimed his titles in the rematch six months later, many believe he never fully recovered from that disastrous night at Madison Square Garden and how different things may be if he did face Miller.
Of course, there’s no changing the past, but could a victory over Miller help Joshua begin to heal those old wounds, even if only slightly.
Anthony Joshua And Deontay Wilder To Finally Settle The Score
There was a time when Joshua and the ‘Bronze Bomber’ Deontay Wilder stood on the brink of history, with a potential clash promising to crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion in over two decades.
A fight that should have happened years ago has still yet to materialise, but is there still a chance we could finally see the two trade leather, even if it’s five years too late.
Despite back-to-back defeats, Wilder still appears hungry to compete, with a bout scheduled against Tyrrell Anthony Herndon in June, a year on from his knockout loss to Zhilei Zhang.
A win for the 39-year-old, particularly if it’s as emphatic as some of his past victories, could pave the way for him and AJ to finally settle the long-standing debate over who would emerge victorious between the two heavyweight giants.
Anthony Joshua And Tyson Fury Headline Battle of Britain
The matchup most boxing fans are eager to see, and arguably the most likely of all the potential options, is a Battle of Britain between Joshua and Tyson Fury.
‘The Gypsy King’ has hinted at a potential comeback, posting a gym video with trainer SugarHill Steward on social media, and of course, it wouldn’t be the first time Fury has backtracked on retirement plans.
Despite both men coming off defeats and no longer holding heavyweight titles, there’s no doubt that a clash between them would still rank as one of the biggest fights in British boxing history.
“It’s a fight that I want to see, I’m a boxing fan, I want to get that out of the way. The reason why I decided to do some interesting stuff is that I ain’t got many years ahead of me,” Joshua said, reflecting on the long-anticipated showdown with Fury.
“I got more years behind me than I have in front of me. I want to leave the game with a bang, make an impact, be outlandish, great character, have fun with it while we’re doing it and go for the big fights, Tyson Fury is one of them.”
