BoxRec

With AJ losing twice now to Usyk and going only 2-3 in his last 5 bouts.
Where does AJ go in his career?
Who should he fight next?
Will he regain the belts?
How will his melt down affect his career?

He could quit
He could just go on and no longer be in the top echelon.

He should take some time to himself. Wait to see how Wilder-Helenius and Ruiz-Ortiz and Parker-Joyce go down. Then have Hearn reach out to the winners, and see if they are interested in staging a match and I'm sure some organization would make Joshua vs Wilder or Joshua vs Ruiz 3 or Joshua vs Parker 2 a mandatory match for the winner of Fury-Usyk.

It seems clear that both Tyson Fury and Usyk are not really interested in continuing a boxing career beyond undisputed. I may be wrong about that, but I can see Anthony Joshua getting back to the titles if both Fury and Usyk retired. Then again if Tyson Fury is successful against the Ukrainian I can see him having a match against Anthony Joshua before retiring for good.

If these promoters were smart they would try to arrange a Don King style heavyweight tournament to elect the next undisputed champion but knowing how boxing goes the title will once again be fractured into many different pieces.

I think now is a good time for Anthony to revisit that fight with Jarrell Miller.
Joshua was on top of the world, coming to New York to fight Miller then that fight fell through and Joshua hasn't faired so well since then.
Go back to that fight.
If Anthony wins maybe he can work his way back to the top, if he loses he's just an opponent with a big name.

Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois in December

If he & Wilder win their return bouts... Joshua-Wilder Spring 2023

Manrae wrote: ↑21 Aug 2022, 20:21 Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois in December

If he & Wilder win their return bouts... Joshua-Wilder Spring 2023

I was going to say the same. Knock off some British dudes. Fight Dubois for his fake belt then maybe target Fury, Wilder, Whyte, or Joyce, depending on the landscape.

He can still make huge money off domestic match-up.

I’d say a Brit or two before a Wilder fight.

The landscape is too good for him to stop. He just needs to stop thinking that he's on the level of a HoF, ATG like Usyk. Dubois should be his first pick. Dubois is easily a low-hanging fruit. Huge paycheck for it in Britain, and Dubois is beatable. Joyce right after.

I also can't see Usyk fighting again if he beats Fury. He had that weird ultimatum for Fury or nothing. That makes me think he might hang them up after that fight. It's not like he can one-up that win. No one else will put him over as one of the GoAT HWs other than Fury.

Realistically, if AJ would be able to beat Wilder, it would be huge, as young as he is. Huge fight $.

Manrae wrote: ↑21 Aug 2022, 20:21 Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois in December

If he & Wilder win their return bouts... Joshua-Wilder Spring 2023

My biggest problem with Joshua facing Dubois, is that we really do not know how good Dubois is right now. What I'm trying to say is it is a possible high risk low reward fight. Dubois can crack and Joshua could get knocked out. Could you imagine Joshua losing his next fight? His career would be spiraling at that moment

he's in the same tier as wilder now

usyk and fury = gawd tier

wilder and josh = the next best, losers to the kings


there are lots of fights out there for him still, and he hasnt been brutally beatdown and stopped two fights in a row. but he's out of the picture as far as the undisputed fight happening

Fighting Joyce if Joyce beats Parker would be a killer fight that a lot people would watch and would still do really really well in the UK.

Ideally: Wilder

Probably: Chisora

Whyte 2 used to make sense but since Whyte got taken apart with ease and stopped by Fury in his last fight the shine has come off that one somewhat.

bobcatbox wrote: ↑21 Aug 2022, 23:49 Fighting Joyce if Joyce beats Parker would be a killer fight that a lot people would watch and would still do really really well in the UK.

that would be cool

There's only two fights worth seeing: Fury & Wilder, and Fury is booked (or will be). If AJ wants to prove how much of a bad ass he is, he'll get the deal done with Wilder. It's still a huge fight and I'd look forward to it FAR more than Fury vs Usyk, as I'm sure a lot of others would too.

Manrae wrote: ↑21 Aug 2022, 20:21 Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois in December

If he & Wilder win their return bouts... Joshua-Wilder Spring 2023

I like this.

If he wins, it would give him a cereal packet trinket, but it gets him in line for another title shot.

Also, it would be an easy sell somewhere in the UK and it has some intrigue, because I am not certain how good Dubois is, but he's certainly no pushover and it has a passing of the torch air about it too.

He should pick any big fight and to cash out. But he'll be most likely matched against the lesser level opposition to secure a win streak for the title shot.

DrDuke wrote: ↑22 Aug 2022, 05:03 He should pick any big fight and to cash out. But he'll be most likely matched against the lesser level opposition to secure a win streak for the title shot.

He wants to become a 3 time HW champion.

As long as Usyk is champion, that ain't gonna happen, unless he vacates one.

He is at his prime and has at least 2 more prime years ahead of him. He is real talent, people tend to underestimate him because of losses.

Christmas panto 2022 as the back end of a pantomime horse.

Anthony Joshua engages in a confidence-building type fight against a low-risk fringe top-ten contender during November or December.

His next fight will be scheduled for Easter or May 2023, against a beatable marquee name, such as Ruiz Jr., Whyte or Hrgovic.

I also expect Usyk and Fury to both retire after their bout, regardless the outcome, as long as it isn’t controversial in nature.

This will open several doors of opportunity for Joshua to exploit. AJ will inevitably challenge for one of the newly-vacated titles when the eventual victor of Usyk-Fury vacates them.

AJ will eventually become a three-time world champion, but I suspect he’ll never regain his status as the king of the heavyweight division.

A fight I'd love to see is AJ vs Luis Ortiz, if Ortiz beats fat Andy. I think AJ would win, but in a tough fight. Ortiz still top 10, but getting old. Good scalp, and set up for a Wilder fight.

Enlightened-One wrote: ↑22 Aug 2022, 09:18 Anthony Joshua engages in a confidence-building type fight against a low-risk fringe top-ten contender during November or December.

His next fight will be scheduled for Easter or May 2023, against a beatable marquee name, such as Ruiz Jr., Whyte or Hrgovic.

I also expect Usyk and Fury to both retire after their bout, regardless the outcome, as long as it isn’t controversial in nature.

This will open several doors of opportunity for Joshua to exploit. AJ will inevitably challenge for one of the newly-vacated titles when the eventual victor of Usyk-Fury vacates them.

AJ will eventually become a three-time world champion, but I suspect he’ll never regain his status as the king of the heavyweight division.

That was an electrifying performance on Saturday and it would be great to see Joshua back before the end of the year.

After a dozen straight title fights he's certainly entitled to a confidence building return this December.

Usyk aside, I don't think anyone beats this AJ (better speed, better chin, better stamina) right now.

Or even gets close.

Bandog wrote: ↑22 Aug 2022, 11:48 A fight I'd love to see is AJ vs Luis Ortiz, if Ortiz beats fat Andy. I think AJ would win, but in a tough fight. Ortiz still top 10, but getting old. Good scalp, and set up for a Wilder fight.

hopefully ortiz wouldnt run again if offered an aj fight

'any time! any place! any money! i want you aj! i want all those belts!'

'ok, how about this huge pay day to fight aj'

'uh, um, well, uh, um....'

Yeah Ortiz would be a great comeback opponent for AJ since there are a few gullible types left that think he’s better than he is. Plus an added bonus of Ortiz would beat Ruiz. But he won’t, so potentially a trilogy with Ruiz?