Anthony Joshua is waiting to lock in his next fight. Sky Sports considers the options for the former two-time unified heavyweight champion…

Tyson Fury

Tyson Fury versus Anthony Joshua has been talked up and talked down, come close and fallen apart time after time over the years. It is the best all-British heavyweight super-fight yet to happen, but hopes for it to finally take place haven’t been entirely extinguished.

After their respective defeats to Daniel Dubois and Olekandr Usyk, it seemed a natural choice for both Joshua and Fury. But AJ has been left waiting as Fury hinted he’d come back next year, before abruptly rowing back and insisting he’d stay retired.

Fury, though, is nothing if not mercurial and could still change his mind. At 37, he’s not too old for a heavyweight.

Frank Warren, Fury’s promoter, told Sky Sports News: “It’s a fight that has not happened and should have happened. Is it too late? I think there’s tremendous interest in the fight.

“Providing Tyson wants to carry on, I can see that fight happening. It’s up to the two fighters to make it happen. If they both want it and the terms are right it will definitely happen, but nobody will force them into it.”

Jake Paul

Believe it or not, discussions around Joshua actually boxing Jake Paul continue to gather steam. Joshua is a bona fide heavyweight, a heavy puncher, not to mention an Olympic gold medallist and two-time former unified world champion.

Paul is not a physical juggernaut like Joshua, but he is a commercial juggernaut. The social media star’s professional boxing career has been unignorable and while his bout with a 58-year-old Mike Tyson was, to put it mildly, questionable it was a huge draw. Actually fighting Joshua would have the same shock impact as the Tyson event, but this time Paul would be at risk of a terrible knockout. The only time Joshua has previously boxed a ‘crossover’ opponent, Francis Ngannou, AJ levelled the UFC champion in brutal fashion.

Tony Yoka

The Frenchman succeeded Joshua as the Olympic super-heavyweight champion when he beat Joe Joyce in a controversial gold medal bout at Rio 2016.

A star in his home country, Yoka has struggled in his professional career and lost three consecutive bouts to Martin Bakole, Carlos Takam and Ryad Merhy. He has been rebuilding since, and now has a UK-based trainer in Don Charles and a British promoter in Warren.

But Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, insists that Yoka has not yet entered the frame to be AJ’s next opponent.

“No discussions, no shortlist,” Hearn told Sky Sports.

Deontay Wilder

As well as Tyson Fury, Wilder is another big-name opponent who has long been associated with boxing AJ. There was a period when the Briton and the American held all four heavyweight world titles between them but they did not manage to agree terms for an undisputed clash at that time.

More recently Wilder was one fight away from boxing Joshua, and then lost to Joseph Parker. A stoppage defeat to Zhilei Zhang last year harmed his standing further. But the rivalry with Joshua still persists and ahead of a comeback win over Tyrrell Anthony Herndon, Wilder’s co-manager Shelly Finkel told Sky Sports: “If that goes well, we’re open to discussing anything.”

Dillian Whyte

Enmity has simmered between Joshua and Whyte ever since they boxed early in their amateur careers. Joshua then stopped Whyte in an exciting 2015 British title fight.

They were due to rematch in 2023, but after Whyte returned an adverse finding in a pre-bout drug test that second fight was called off.

Subsequently cleared to box, rather than resuming efforts to get the AJ rematch back on, Whyte has opted to face rising star Moses Itauma instead. It’s a dangerous fight for Whyte, but victory would catapult him to the upper reaches of the heavyweight division.

Daniel Dubois

In the immediate aftermath of Joshua’s crushing knockout loss to Dubois there was talk of a rematch.

Now Dubois has lost to Usyk, a world title wouldn’t be on the line, which might make a shot at revenge less appealing for Joshua. But equally the Usyk defeat could have dented Dubois’ confidence and evened up the match between them.

Martin Bakole

Joshua’s team are looking at the potential of staging a fight for him in Ghana. Perhaps Bakole, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, could be a suitable opponent for that event? He has previously sparred Joshua and would certainly talk up his chances.

After overcoming Jared Anderson, Bakole was viewed as one of the most formidable operators in the division. But he stepped in at short notice to box Joseph Parker and was heavily knocked out. Labouring to a draw with Efe Ajagba has also hurt his reputation.

Oleksandr Usyk

Joshua has boxed Usyk twice and lost both bouts clearly on points. There has been little demand for a third. But perhaps – and hear me out – a third fight between them could be justified.

Usyk has accomplished everything and more, gone undisputed at cruiserweight and twice at heavyweight, won Olympic gold, never lost a professional bout and beaten the division’s best twice over with two victories over Fury and Dubois as well as Joshua. If he’s only going to have one more fight, he’s entitled to choose the most high-profile opponent and most financially-rewarding event.

In the heavyweight division today the currently retired Fury and Joshua probably do remain the biggest names. Plus, it was Joshua who granted Usyk his first heavyweight title shot back in 2021. The Ukrainian great might feel like returning the favour.

Consider this too. Usually Usyk gets better in rematches. For instance his second bout with Fury was a clearer victory than his first and he knocked out Dubois more quickly second time around as well. In contrast, Joshua is the only opponent of his to improve in a rematch. He pressured Usyk more effectively in their second fight than he did in their first. Could Joshua improve even further in a third bout with Usyk?

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