Anthony Joshua looks eager to return to the ring for his next big challenge. However, at 35, the former unified heavyweight champion seems to be struggling to find a worthy dance partner. In the meantime, Matchroom Boxing head Eddie Hearn has revealed AJ may end up joining Tyson Fury in retirement rather than fight him!

Just a few days ago, Eddie Hearn revealed that Anthony Joshua was in talks with His Excellency Turki Alalshikh for a potential two-fight deal as he continued recovering from surgery. Hearn also indicated that they were waiting for the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Daniel Dubois rematch to conclude before finalizing Joshua’s next opponent. Still, he expressed confidence that both Dillian Whyte and Jared Anderson were strong contenders being considered for Joshua’s return. However, reports reveal that Whyte is now in discussion with fast-rising heavyweight prospect Moses Itauma for a fight on August 16th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This practically poured cold water over Hearn’s plans.

While appearing in The Boxing Show Episode 30 with Ariel Helwani, Hearn revealed, “Dillian Whyte was the frontrunner to be honest with you—and he’s gonna fight Moses, so that was a curve ball.” Despite that, Hearn claimed there are some options available for Joshua. “Jared Anderson has been mentioned. Obviously, Deontay Wilder’s back soon. I think AJ would have been out of the ring just over a year by the time he steps back into the ring,” Hearn said.

Highlighting that Joshua would have recovered from his surgery by the time Wilder’s fight against Tyrrell Anthony Herndon is done, he shared an update on the possibility of Joshua vs. Fury. “I don’t think Fury’s gonna be ready to fight around that time anyway, but I expect it to be someone that will gear him up for a really big fight in 2026,” Hearn said. 

He further added that 2026 will be Joshua’s final year in boxing. “And probably 2026 will be his last year in the sport… It’s probably three fights away,” Hearn told Healwani. Joshua’s last appearance was back in September last year against Daniel Dubois, which saw him lose the fight via 5th-round knockout. There were talks for a rematch, but Joshua had to undergo surgery.

Regardless, while Eddie Hearn struggles to find an opponent for Joshua, someone has already challenged Joshua.

Knocked out Anthony Joshua in the amateurs, this boxer wants a rematch in the pros

Romanian heavyweight Mihai Nistor, who famously knocked out Anthony Joshua in the 2011 European Championships, is now eyeing a rematch in the professional ranks. Nistor stopped a young Joshua in the third round of their quarter-final bout in Ankara, marking ‘AJ’s only stoppage defeat as an amateur.

“I’d love to box again with my former rivals,” Nistor told World Boxing News. “If I could box against Joshua and Usyk again, that would be my goal.” Now 34 and unbeaten as a pro with an 8-0 record, Nistor admits his career has stalled due to setbacks like the COVID pandemic. “I’m a bit disappointed with my career. I was held back for about two years because of the pandemic,” he said.

Still, he believes he can rise to the top. “I am confident and convinced that I will make it to the level of Joshua and Usyk.”

That being said, it appears the clock is running out on Anthony Joshua’s time in boxing. Who he will fight next remains a mystery, but Eddie Hearn is confident that it will happen. Who do you think it will be?