Following his knockout victory over Jake Paul, Anthony Joshua immediately challenged his long-time British rival, Tyson Fury, emphasizing he wants that highly anticipated undisputed fight next.
In a contest held in Miami, Joshua secured a sixth-round knockout against Paul. Although the fight, which marked Joshua`s return after a 15-month hiatus, was not always aesthetically pleasing, Joshua eventually tracked down the elusive Paul. The Brit scored three knockdowns on the way to the stoppage, cementing his dominance.
Attention immediately shifted to Joshua’s future, and he made his preference abundantly clear.
“I can`t wait to roll into 2026,” Joshua stated in the ring after the bout.
“If Tyson Fury is as serious as he thinks he is, and he wants to put down his `Twitter fingers` and put on some gloves, and come and fight one of the realist fighters out there who will take on any challenge, step in the ring with me next if you`re a real bad boy. Don`t do all that talking: `AJ this, AJ that.` Let`s see you in the ring and talk with your fists.”
Joshua and Fury—both former heavyweight world champions—have been linked with a mega-fight for several years, but the clash has consistently failed to materialize.
Promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed that while official fixed plans are not yet finalized, fighting Fury immediately is a definite possibility for Joshua’s next move.
Hearn originally suggested Joshua would take an interim fight in February before facing Fury later in the year, but following the decisive victory over Paul, the timeline has shifted. “We can do that straight away. No interim fights. If Tyson`s ready, AJ`s ready, we don`t have to fight in February or March,” Hearn insisted, signaling readiness for an early 2026 showdown.
