If Anthony Joshua doesn’t step into the ring in 2025, it would mark the first time in his 12-year professional career that he’s gone an entire year without a fight. A surprising turn for a man who once ruled the heavyweight division. The former two-time world champion has been linked to several potential matchups throughout the year. Earlier reports indicated that Joshua was recovering from surgery following his loss to Daniel Dubois late last year, with a possible return targeted for November or December. 

Yet, as the months passed, no concrete announcement followed. Meanwhile, talk of a long-awaited showdown with Tyson Fury continued to swirl, fueling fans’ hopes for one of boxing’s biggest clashes. Even though Fury himself has been loud and proud about a trilogy with Oleksandr Usyk, no one could truly tell what’s brewing behind the scenes. But now, it seems Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, may have finally provided some clarity—ending months of speculation surrounding the British star’s next move.

Eddie Hearn has three options lined up for Anthony Joshua

According to multiple reports, Eddie Hearn appeared in DAZN’s broadcast, where Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix cornered him into revealing Joshua’s future. Mannix highlighted that there are three potential dates left in 2025 for Joshua’s next fight—the Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn rematch on November 15, Diego Pacheco vs. Kevin Lele Sadjo on Saturday, December 13, and Naoya Inoue vs. Alan David Picasso on December 27. 

Hearing this, Hearn appeared to think for a bit before simply answering, “Yes.” Despite his confirmation, it remains unclear who Joshua’s opponent will be. Tyson Fury is currently busy with Netflix because he is filming the second season of his reality show, ‘At Home with the Furys.’ So, Fury is out of the picture—this leaves a lack of options for Joshua. Not to mention, returning after a devastating loss has become much harder. 

Generally, a hot rematch often gets pushed, but that doesn’t appear to be happening in Joshua’s case. He could potentially headline a card in England, but the question is, would Eubank Jr. and Benn move aside to make that happen? Unlikely! So, only time can really tell who the Brit will end up fighting on one of the cards Hearn has left in the rest of 2025. In the meantime, though, Joshua appears to have a fight lined up next year. 

Jake Paul is confident a fight against Joshua is possible

Speaking to Sky Sports recently, Jake Paul revisited talks about a potential showdown with Anthony Joshua. “100 percent it can happen, and our teams are already talking and it’s on the works for next year,” Paul told the reporter. “It’s just winning this fight on November 14 and figuring out the exact details.” However, with the Gervonta Davis fight now in jeopardy—reportedly pushed to December due to the civil lawsuit filed against Davis—Paul is already exploring new options.

According to reports, Ryan Garcia, Terence Crawford, Francis Ngannou, and Nate Diaz have been approached as possible replacements. But if none of those bouts materialize, Paul could turn his attention to Anthony Joshua. And even if Joshua’s camp isn’t on board right now, the matchup could easily be revisited next year. Paul certainly seems open to it, saying, “I think it would be fun to take on Anthony Joshua after this fight. And take a massive risk… and go into a fight where no one thinks I would even have the slightest chance of winning.”

That being said, while Eddie Hearn confirms Anthony Joshua will return to the ring this year, his opponent remains a matter of mystery. Who do you think he will fight? Is a fight with Jake Paul possible?