Tyson Fury’s retirement: What Anthony Joshua will do next in 2025 as Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren discuss options | Boxing news
Anthony Joshua must make new plans. The former unified world heavyweight champion had his sights set on boxing his great British rival Tyson Fury.
But Fury caught Joshua and the rest of the sporting world off guard on Monday when he announced his retirement.
Talks haven’t officially started yet, but hopes were so high that Fury vs. AJ would finally happen in 2025 that Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, set a date for the fight at Wembley Stadium in the summer.
But with no immediate indication that Fury intends to reverse his decision, Joshua remains on the lookout for another opponent.
Last September, Joshua’s attempt to win the IBF belt and become a three-time world champion ended in disaster when Daniel Dubois knocked him out in five rounds.
An immediate rematch with Dubois was considered, but fell through as Joshua bounced back from that loss.
Dubois will next defend his belt against former world champion in form and Anthony Joshua’s former opponent Joseph Parker on February 22.
Hearn would like Joshua to compete for the winner of Dubois-Parker.
“If it’s not Fury, it’s just the world heavyweight championship. It’s Daniel Dubois against Joseph Parker,” Hearn told Sky Sports.
“AJ is going to fight again no matter who he’s fighting. I don’t think he’s taking a loss well, which is good. You should never take a loss well. But especially in the last few weeks, he’s got his mojo back. He’s ready to start training camp.”
Hearn continued: “But the focus has always been on Tyson Fury and the rematch against Daniel Dubois. I’m not so sure Daniel Dubois is going to beat Joseph Parker. You have the winner of that fight or someone else.
“You really want the biggest fights at this stage of your career and you want to try to become a three-time heavyweight champion of the world.”
Warren: Joshua has to win a world title fight first
Although Dubois’ promoter Frank Warren points out that if Joshua is to put himself in a position to challenge the February 22 winner, he needs to be qualified. First, AJ “has to go and win the fight,” Warren said Sky Sports.
Joshua will not be fined for fighting for the IBF world title right after the loss. Warren explained: “They won’t let him. The IBF won’t let him.”
However, there is still a way back to compete at the world level.
On the February 22 undercard, Zhilei Zhang fights Agita Kabayel for the WBC Interim heavyweight title. The interim titleholder would be in prime position for a mandatory challenge against Oleksandr Usyk, who holds the WBC as well as the WBA and WBO world championships.
But both Kabayel and Zhang would welcome a contest with Anthony Joshua while waiting for that shot at Usyk.
“I’m ready, let’s go,” Kabayel said Sky Sports. “Everything is interesting, I am a fighter.
“I’m an athlete. I’m just going to fight. It is what it is.”
Zhang is especially eager to box Joshua. The Chinese heavyweight lost to AJ at the 2012 London Olympics when they were amateurs, and today, all these years later, he still wants revenge.
“Anything is possible. A fight against AJ is possible, but right now I just want to pay attention to Kabayel. February 22 is my whole focus. I’ll think about who’s next after I beat him,” Zhang said Sky Sports.
But he added: “This is interesting because my name has been mentioned many times over the years. Eddie [Hearn] brought it. Look where I am now – nowhere on Joshua’s hit list.
“At the same time, my team flew to London a few years ago. They met with Eddie, they met with Joshua’s management team. Look where I am now – I’m nowhere on Joshua’s hit list. So I don’t know.
“Who knows?” he thought. “But I want to say that I am available. If they want to fight me, just send the contract.”
It may not necessarily be as big a fight for Anthony Joshua as Tyson Fury. But there are still options in the heavyweight division that could help him fight his way back into world-level fighting.
“Whoever it is, they’re going to fight again,” Hearn insisted.
Regardless of whether Fury remains retired or not, Anthony Joshua will return in 2025.
