Yet to book his return to the ring, don’t expect Anthony Joshua to share the ring against Moses Itauma, however.
Expected to make his boxing comeback at the beginning of 2026, former two-time world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has missed out on some notable fights since his last venture to the ring.
And yet to compete since his knockout loss to Daniel Dubois, Watford native Joshua saw a planned fight with Jake Paul fall to the wayside, with the Ohio star instead fighting lightweight champion Gervonta Davis in November.
Furthermore, Joshua has also now been ruled out of a pairing with compatriot Moses Itauma, who is taking the heavyweight boxing world by storm.
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Anthony Joshua to avoid ‘dangerous’ Moses Itauma fight next
Running roughshod so far in his brief career, unbeaten Slovakian-born contender Moses Itauma turned in a devastating first-round knockout win over common foe Dillian Whyte earlier this summer to rack up his thirteenth straight win.
And while the unbeaten Commonwealth titleholder has been linked with a slew of potential opponents next, including the likes of Oleksandr Usyk and Justis Huni, don’t expect Itauma to take on Olympic star Joshua next.
“I don’t really look at the Moses (Itauma) fight and think that’s a fight for AJ (Anthony Joshua),” Eddie Hearn told Sky Sports. “There are many reasons for that. One, what do you gain out of it?
“Moses is a very good fighter. If you win, you’ve beaten 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.”
And with Joshua set to see his career managed cautiously from here on out by Matchroom Boxing leader Eddie Hearn, the former champion seems to be losing ground in his bid to share the ring with a fellow ex-gold holder.
Deontay Wilder switches focus to Francis Ngannou showdown
Forever tied to a clash with Joshua, former undisputed WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder is also plotting his own 2026 return to the ring in a bid to kickstart his late-career resurgence.
However, amid calls from fans for Joshua to take on Tuscaloosa native Wilder next, the supreme knockout star has urged former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou to meet him in the middle of the ring.
“Francis (Ngannou), let’s get it on, baby,” Wilder told Ariel Helwani. “If you’re serious about what you’re saying — for I am serious about what I’m saying.
“Let’s get it on once and for all,” Wilder continued. “Your power against my power. Let’s test it out, baby. If you’re down, I’m down. We can go to the motherland, too, baby. Africa! Let’s go.”