Following his retirement at the start of 2025, Tyson Fury is seemingly no closer to a huge bout with Anthony Joshua despite the desires of fans.
Just weeks after his loss to Oleksandr Usyk, Fury announced on social media that he would be hanging up his gloves. Although fans were skeptical of the retirement, there has been no official change in status for the ‘Gypsy King’.
Should Fury not return to the boxing ring, Joshua must now look at other options for potential opponents for his next bout.
According to Queensbury promoter Frank Warren, there are plenty of names that can be considered for ‘AJ’s’ return.
Frank Warren includes Moses Itauma in three-man opponent list for Anthony Joshua
Speaking to Seconds Out, Warren was asked if Joshua may face another Queensbury heavyweight even if Fury does not make a return to boxing. Warren responded, “I think you could pick any one of about 13 or 14 [fighters].”
The promoter then added, “There’s no problem making a big fight for him with a Queensbury fighter.”
When asked if there were any specific fighters that Warren would like to see Joshua face off with, the promoter first responded, “I think Fabio [Wardley] comes through.”
Fabio Wardley currently boasts a professional record of 18-0-1 and is scheduled to face Justis Huni (12-0) on June 7th. Among Wardley’s 18 victories, the 30-year-old has 17 knockouts.
Warren then named Derek Chisora as a potential opponent for Joshua. ‘Del Boy’s’ last outing would see him defeat Otto Wallin via unanimous decision.
The third name mentioned by the promoter was Moses Itauma, who recently had a stoppage win over Mike Balogun. When asked, would he put a 20-year-old Itauma in a fight with Joshua next, Warren gave a confident and short ‘Yeah’.
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Frank Warren says Anthony Joshua cannot afford another loss
In the discussion with Seconds Out, Warren said that Joshua needs to win his next bout as he looks to bounce back from a loss to Daniel Dubois in his last outing.
“He’s fighting for his career, he can’t afford another loss,” Warren said. “He’s fighting to stay, or to get to, that top table.”
Joshua’s record fell to 28-4 when he faced Dubois in September 2024, ending a four-fight winning streak.
The 35-year-old is expected to return to action before the end of the year. However, it is unclear who ‘AJ’ will face.