A major decision looms for Anthony Joshua as he weighs up his next opponent and the venue for his upcoming bout.

Anthony Joshua must decide soon whether or not to return to the ring and who to fight and where The fighter has not boxed since he lost to Daniel Dubois at Wembley over a year ago

According to Frank Smith, CEO of Matchroom, the next move in Anthony Joshua’s career will be decided soon. “I think with AJ, he’s had time out of the ring, the longest period he’s been out of the ring. I think he needed it. He hasn’t stopped for 12, 13 years since he turned pro.”

“For him, I think it’s been perfect just to have some time away to focus on himself while he comes back for what is probably the most important part of his career so far and the most important decision he’ll make,” Frank Smith.

There has been speculation about the heavyweight’s return, with several opportunities, including Jake Paul, Tyson Fury and a fight in Ghana, being discussed. A fight against Fury is thought to take place later in 2026.

“There has been a lot of talk about offers in Ghana. I have gone to Ghana to meet with those guys and about organizing a show there, I went to the stadium in Accra,” Smith added. “It would be sensational to do an event there, like an event that would never be forgotten. Obviously, there are the big fights against someone like Tyson Fury, which we all want to see.

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“And I think, look, I see that happening. I saw Frank Warren talk about it as well. Tyson Fury talking about a comeback, which is great. So I think that’s a fight we’ll see in 2026. What’s next? Let’s see. Let’s see how things go over the next week or two. I think if he’s going to come out this year, he’d have to make a decision very soon, if not early next year. But I’m sure we’ll see AJ back in the best shape of his life. He needs to be 100 percent when he gets back into this.”

The idea of staging fights in Accra, having seen it, appeals to Smith now more than ever, and if Matchroom promotes there, it might not just be for Joshua. “It’s one of those moments. Look, we’ve been lucky, and I’ve personally been lucky, to work on some incredible events over the last 16, 17 years, and moments that I’ll never forget

But walking through that stadium and also seeing an event they had done previously on a much smaller scale, thinking about 60,000 people in this stadium, in the atmosphere they would create, is one of those moments that you think would last forever, that memory. It’s not something that a year later you say: ‘do you remember?’ It would be something you would talk about for 10, 20, 30, 40 years. So it’s something I’m very interested in making happen. Obviously, it has to make sense, you know, overall. So we’ll see. But I’m very confident that very soon we’ll be doing events in Ghana with the Legacy team, whether it’s with AJ or someone else.

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Smith believes AJ’s waters will become much clearer over the next week or 10 days. With Matchroom ready to reveal a batch of dates to close out the year, more pieces will be falling into place elsewhere. But Smith does not believe that the rematch between Leigh Wood and Josh Warrington is something that is on the agenda. Despite the two fighters still throwing darts at each other on social media, a return of their thrilling fight is not something immediate

There are a lot of important conversations for next year’s events,” Smith said. “I think Leigh Wood will take another fight. We pushed for that fight. Obviously, the [Michael] Conlan fight could also be interesting. The Josh Padley fight could also be interesting for Josh Warrington. Great, great fight in Yorkshire. So, you know, a lot of options there, but the plan for Josh is to get back in the ring in January. Leigh Wood, very unlikely now.”

And the return of heavyweight Johnny Fisher will be on the Monte Carlo card on December 6, an event that Smith said: “I think it’s the best card we’ve done there

Anthony Joshua Warns of Heavyweight Shake-Up as Moses Itauma Emerges as the Next Dominant Force

The heavyweight division is in a strong place, but it’s also on the brink of change. Oleksandr Usyk remains firmly on the throne, dominating the division with little real threat as he approaches 39 years old. Behind him are the marquee names who have already fallen to him—Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Daniel Dubois.

There are still dangerous veterans in the mix, including Joseph Parker, Agit Kabayel, and Fabio Wardley. Yet lurking just beyond them is a rising force—Moses Itauma. At only 20 years old, Itauma has already stamped his name onto the scene, most notably with a stunning first-round TKO over Dillian Whyte in August. Despite his youth, he looks ready for a world title shot.

Whether that opportunity comes soon remains uncertain. What is certain is the hype surrounding him, and for good reason. He has cut through his opposition with ease, and what we’ve seen so far may only be the beginning.

His trainer, Ben Davison, has made a bold declaration about Itauma’s potential. Speaking to talkSPORT, Davison said:

“I don’t think this country has ever produced the pound-for-pound best boxer in the world. But with Moses Itauma, we have the opportunity to change that. For a British heavyweight to have the potential to be the pound-for-pound best—that’s what we’re looking at.”

Davison even suggested that no one currently has a better chance of beating Usyk than Itauma. That’s remarkable praise, especially coming from a trainer who has worked with some of the sport’s biggest names, including Fury, Joshua, Wardley, and others.

“Hearn stirs the boxing world: Joshua might not hesitate to face young phenom Moses Itauma in a high-stakes title fight.”

A fight between Anthony Joshua and Moses Itauma could be made, but a world title would have to be on the line says promoter Eddie Hearn.

Itauma is in the early stages of his professional career, but has shown his promise and his capabilities in a lightning-quick demolition of Dillian Whyte.

Joshua is 15 years older than Itauma and has already been a unified heavyweight champion twice before.

Itauma’s promoter, Frank Warren told Sky Sports: “I’d do that [AJ-Itauma fight] tomorrow. It isn’t going to happen. First of all they’ve got the same trainer [in Ben Davison].”

Eddie Hearn, who represents Joshua, could see a fight with Itauma happening, if it was for a world heavyweight championship

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“I don’t really look at the Moses fight and think that’s a fight for AJ,” Hearn told Sky Sports. “There’s many reasons for that. One, what do you gain out if it?

“Moses is a very good fighter. If you win you’ve beat up a 20-year-old. If you lose you’ve lost to a 20-year-old and your career’s over. It’s a dangerous fight, I rate Moses very highly.”

But the promoter noted: “AJ, his decision would be completely different. He would probably be bang up for fighting Moses. He’d find that exciting and if there was a chance to fight Moses for the world heavyweight title, we’d take it in a heartbeat.”

While Hearn admires Itauma, for all of the young heavyweight’s abilities he cautions against rushing him.

“I think that Moses has a lot of work to do. He’s an extraordinary talent but we have no idea if he can tick the boxes that are required to be a true great and a true champion in the division,” Hearn said. “What’s his chin like? What’s it like when it gets really tough in the trenches?

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“Now he could tick all those boxes, I’m not questioning those, but you’ve got to show them and we’ve seen it [go wrong] over the years time and time again.

“The reality is, Moses hasn’t fought anyone really yet,” Hearn added. “I want to see Moses against [Agit] Kabayel, against [Martin] Bakole, against Jarrell Miller. Someone who can stand up to him, take him four, five, six rounds and then ask some questions.

“Moses is going to be a world heavyweight champion… But I would take it a little bit slower.”

Eddie Hearn hints: A Joshua vs Fury clash could become the most monumental showdown boxing has ever seen.

Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has described the potential showdown between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury as “the biggest fight in boxing.

Speaking to Sky Sports, the Matchroom chairman admitted he would “kick himself” if the two heavyweights never met in the ring.

“It would be a real, real shame if Tyson and AJ never fought. I don’t really have many regrets, but I think we would always kick ourselves if we never saw that fight. It’s the biggest fight in boxing,” Hearn said.

Joshua has not fought since suffering a knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois in 2024, while Fury has been inactive since back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk, after which he briefly announced his retirement. Despite that, Hearn is confident the unified heavyweight champion will return.

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He added: “You can’t even compare anything we’ve done so far; Froch-Groves, AJ-Klitschko, Benn-Eubank. This is completely different. It shuts down the country. Two great fighters, two different personalities, and two individuals the British public have wanted to see face each other for so long. Tell me a bigger fight in boxing? It doesn’t exist.”

Joshua recently called Fury “dippy” on social media, a sign Hearn believes reflects the 35-year-old’s hunger for the fight.

“AJ has always held his tongue, but now he’s like, ‘why not?’ He wants this fight. We want the fight, we’re ready to talk. This isn’t goading Tyson Fury, it’s just facts,” Hearn said.

According to Hearn, Joshua is eyeing a tune-up fight in early 2026, while Fury may also want one before talks of a blockbuster clash can truly begin.

“The good news is that AJ has recovered, injury-free and ready to start training camp,” Hearn said. “He’s fired up and still has a lot to give. And if you look at Fury’s social media, he’s training again, which gives me hope. I think people around him feel like he’ll return.”