Anthony Joshua next fight: Fury vs Usyk rematch opens door to world title shot
Associated PressAnthony Joshua’s next fight could yet be for the IBF heavyweight title after Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk’s rematch was confirmed for later this year.
Turki Alalshikh has confirmed that Fury and Usyk will face off once again in Saudi Arabia on December 21, 2024.
AJ’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, believes that the rematch will now hand Joshua a shot at the IBF title in his next fight, as plans for a final showdown with Fury also being set out.
Here is everything you need to know about AJ’s next fight and how he and Fury can finally face off.
Who is Anthony Joshua fighting next?
Turki Alalshikh has seemingly confirmed that Joshua is set to face the winner of Daniel Dubois vs Filip Hrgovic on September 21.
The mastermind behind some of boxing’s biggest fights went on to state that Joshua will also get a crack at the winner of Fury vs Usyk 2.
He told The MMA Hour: “It has to be the [Fury vs Usyk] rematch in October, and after that, my plan in the first quarter [of 2025] is to have Joshua fight the winner [of Fury vs Usyk 2].”
“We have Joshua’s fight in September,” he continued. “It depends on the result on June 1, the Hrgovic fight – because now we love Wilder vs Jared Anderson on the card in Los Angeles.
“We are supporting boxing around the world. I just finished the card of Wembley, it will be a crazy card.”
It therefore means that Joshua, should he beat the winner of Hrgovic vs Dubois, will need Fury to get the better of Usyk to set up a fight with his fellow Brit early next year.
Hearn believes that Usyk will vacate his IBF title ahead of his rematch with Fury, meaning that the winner will not be the undisputed champion.
Instead, Hearn believes that Joshua will fight for the IBF belt when he takes on the winner of Hrgovic vs Dubois in September.
“It’s very unlikely for that [Usyk’s IBF title being vacated] to be in place by Saturday,” Hearn told Boxing Social regarding Hrgovic’s fight with Dubois at Queensberry and Matchroom’s 5 v 5 in Saudi Arabia.
“But it is likely that the winner of that fight, fights Anthony Joshua for the world heavyweight title in September. So there are massive permutations around that fight.”
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Should Fury beat Usyk in the rematch, and AJ win his respective fight, there could possibly be another undisputed showdown looming on the horizon in what is set to be one of the biggest fights in British boxing history.
Eddie Hearn setes sights on AJ vs Fury
With Fury’s rematch now scheduled for December 2024, fans will likely have to wait until 2025 for AJ to fight Fury. Yet Hearn is cautious that anything could still happen before Usyk steps back into the ring with The Gypsy King.
“So much could happen,” Hearn told Matchroom’s YouTube channel. “I’ve seen a lot of people talk about ‘great time for Usyk to retire’. That’s very kind of them, but also there’s a lot of money to be made in a rematch, and it was a good performance from him, so he might be ready for that [rematch].
“He’s been training for a long time. We’re about to hit June. You’d have to start training in August, end of July. It probably gives him five or six weeks off. Tyson Fury said Usyk broke his jaw; I don’t think that’s true, but it was a high-maintenance fight.
“And Fury’s gonna wanna rest. Don’t forget, Fury’s come out of the [Francis] Ngannou fight [in October], gone into camp for the first date [in February]. That was postponed, he got cut, he stayed in camp. He’s trained for a long time.
“I don’t think Tyson Fury is gonna be over the moon with five or six weeks off, but that’s the obligation, there’s a lot of money. Who knows? If Usyk’s injured, can’t make the date, do you make Fury against Joshua – with the winner fighting Usyk? I mean the answer for me is, ‘Yes, please.’
“But it’s down to His Excellency [Turki Alalshikh] and the fighters to make the decisions. They have a contracted rematch, but they have to be physically able to make that date, and I guess that’s the next obstacle to overcome.”
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Anthony Joshua’s last fight
Joshua beat Ngannou with a devastating knockout blow in the second round during their fight on March, 9.
After knocking his opponent down in the first round, AJ got the job done minutes later with a right-hand that left Ngannou out cold on the canvas.
It was the result that many had expected, but Ngannou had proven he was no walkover in the boxing ring during his first professional fight, against Tyson Fury, back in October 2023.
The pair went the distance, with Fury only edging the contest via split decision in a result that shocked the boxing world.
Anthony Joshua boxing record
Joshua’s boxing record stands at 28-3: 28 wins and three losses, with 25 knockouts along the way.
Only Andy Ruiz Jr and Usyk (twice) have got the better of the 34-year-old. Joshua has beaten the likes of Wladimir Klitschko, Joseph Parker and Alexander Povetkin on his way to the top of the sport.
For all the biggest results and upcoming fights this year, check out Dexerto’s 2024 boxing schedule.