On Saturday night, the Kaseya Center hosted one of the year’s most anticipated bouts, and Joshua made sure the moment carried real meaning. From the opening exchanges, the former two-time heavyweight champion turned spectacle into a statement, stopping YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul with a jaw-breaking punch. The question that now lingers is, who is next for Anthony Joshua?

Right after the stoppage, Anthony Joshua made his intentions clear and named his next target, calling out Tyson Fury. However, Fury is not the only contender in the picture. The UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall’s training partner also remains a strong potential opponent, waiting for a chance to face Joshua.

Anthony Joshua’s potential clash with “out of the field” opponents from Tom Aspinall’s camp

Before his quick bout against Jake Paul, Anthony Joshua sent shockwaves through the combat sports world when senior journalist Ariel Helwani hinted at his next opponent. “There’s a fight on the table for AJ to fight on February 14, but he has to get by Jake first,” Helwani said during a live show in Miami. “And it’s a very out of left field fight.”

In fact, Helwani appeared to hint at a fight with former GLORY kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven, who has also trained with Tom Aspinall over the past few years. Meanwhile, Anthony Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, recently addressed the future of the fight, though he did not provide immediate details about Joshua’s return.

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“So we will sit down with that team and talk about when he’ll be ready to return. In an ideal world, that would be the time. But we’re going to see when he’s ready. Rico or whoever it is, we haven’t finalised that yet, but the date really is what we are working on over the next four, five, six days,” said Eddie Hearn.

Meanwhile, British promoter Eddie Hearn made it clear that he will not “rush” Joshua back. “It won’t be long. The plan is to fight in the spring and then, obviously, fight Tyson Fury,” Hearn said.

Although no matchup with Tyson Fury or Rico Verhoeven has been confirmed yet, the boxing world is buzzing with excitement at the prospect of a crossover clash between the boxing and kickboxing champions. Verhoeven, known for his elite striking and undefeated streak, has also trained with Tom Aspinall’s fight camp.

A closer look at Rico Verhoeven’s career

Rico Verhoeven (49-8-0), widely known as the “Prince of Kickboxing,” last lost a fight in 2015. Since then, he has dominated the sport, defeating top-tier opponents like Artem Vakhitov and even facing two-time light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira. Currently, Verhoeven holds a 23-fight winning streak as the Glory heavyweight champion.

While he focuses primarily on kickboxing, he also actively trains with fighters from other disciplines, including UFC champion Tom Aspinall, whose striking ranks among the most lethal in the UFC’s heavyweight division, as demonstrated by his knockout of Sergei Pavlovich.

Over the years, Rico Verhoeven has spent a lot of time sharpening his skills. In part, he trains with Aspinall to challenge himself against deadly striking, while Aspinall benefits from Verhoeven’s expertise.

“What he brings to me is a different level and a different approach to standup fighting,” Rico Verhoeven explained. “He’s an MMA fighter, so the whole standup game is different… For me, I like to train with Tom because he attacks me in a different, unorthodox, non-kickboxing way that keeps me on point as well.”

Now, all eyes are on Anthony Joshua and his team as they decide his next opponent. Who would you like to see him face, Rico Verhoeven or Tyson Fury? Share your thoughts below.