What's next for AJ?

Following a second consecutive loss to Usyk where does AJ go from here?

Anthony Joshua suffered a second consecutive defeat to Olexander Uysk over the weekend, he has now lost 3 of his last 5 fights. It's was a competitive fight with many people having it 7-5 to Usyk. In boxing though, it is all about the winner and AJ is in a difficult position in which there's no clear path for him to get back to the title. I will run through potential opponents and possibilities for Joshua.

Key points to note is that Eddie Hearn has stated that he wants Joshua to fight again in December so fighters that can't fit this timeframe will be less likely to be next for Joshua.

Vs Dillian Whyte 2

Record: 28-3

This has been a fight that many fans have wanted to see again since their previous encounter. An all British affair with a history between the two fighters. It is currently one a piece between the two with Whyte winning against AJ as an amateur, before AJ got his revenge via knockout in a British heavyweight title fight in 2015. Both fighters have improved since then with Joshua going on to win the World Heavyweight titles and Whyte challenging for a World title earlier this year. A win here puts Joshua right back in the mix for the heavyweight titles. Additionally, this could line up well with Whyte fighting in April earlier this year, he should be ready to go by December to make this match-up happen. Only thing holding this one back is prior difficulty when making the fight, Whyte has been very patient with his opportunities so might want to drag this into next year if it means he can get paid more. Additionally, both are promoted by Eddie Hearn and draw PPVs by themselves. If this match up is made it will definitely damage one of the fighters future earnings with back-to-back defeats. As Eddie promotes them both it would be more advantageous to have them fight other boxers first to protect them from losing their appeal to the fans.

Vs Deontry Wilder

Record: 42-2-1

The Bronze Bomber is the next option, another highly anticipated bout in which a few years ago there was a strong debate which of the two were the better boxer. Two of the biggest power punchers of the generation would be a entertaining fight. However, there are many factors that are likely to stop this fight from being made. Firstly politics and finances, this fight has been tried to be made multiple times before with neither fighter able to come to an agreement on pay. AJ's promoter Eddie Hearn has had many clashes with Shelly Finkel (Wilder's manager) with both publicly stating that the other has been difficult to work with on making this fight happen. Further, Wilder is already booked to fight Robert Helenius on October 15th. This is looked as by many as a tune up fight for Wilder against an opponent clearly not on his level to get him back up to form after the losses to Fury. This practically guarantees that the AJ Vs Wilder fight won't be next, but I wouldn't rule out a 2023 clash between the two after their respective fights.

Vs Andy Ruiz Jr 3

Record: 34-2

The only other professional loss on AJ's record is to Andy Ruiz Jr, what was a shocking upset in 2019. This would lead to a rematch later that year in which AJ showed a disciplined performance to outpoint Ruiz and win his belts back. There is a history there and after the last fight Ruiz was clamouring for a trilogy. However this one has many issues stopping it, firstly Ruiz is currently booked to fight Luis Ortiz next weekend (4th of September) which makes it unlikely for him to want to turn around and fight again in December. Also due to the dominance of AJ in the rematch, many fans would be unhappy with this match up as it is likely to be another one-sided fight.

Others (Joe Joyce, Daniel Dubois etc..

Joe Joyce is a currently undefeated British boxer who is slowly making his way into the title picture, wins over Carlos Takem and Daniel Dubois have established him as a heavyweight contender, he is knocking on the door for an opportunity and a match up against Joshua would be an exciting fight.

However once again there are many things in the way of this fight happening, firstly Joe Joyce is currently scheduled to fight Joseph Parker on the 24th of September which is likely to be his last fight of the year. Additionally, there is still a significant gap between the two fighters with many thinking that Joe Joyce still needs a few more fights before competing against someone like AJ. Same is the case for Daniel Dubois, a dangerous British fighter with an outstanding knockout record but still not considered to be on the world level and many would write him off in a fight against AJ.

Most Likely Scenario

Looking at all the possibilities, I think the Whyte fight makes the most sense, timelines match up and would be considered a very competitive fight. Following a victory for AJ, I think he will try to line up a fight with Deontay Wilder next year, this has been highly anticipated and the winner of that should be next in line for a title shot.