“AJ” isn’t resting long.
Former Heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua delivered a jaw-breaking sixth-round knockout of Jake Paul last weekend (Fri., Dec. 19, 2025) in the main event of Judgement Day inside the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida (watch highlights), but the celebration may be short-lived.
A rumored mega super fight with Tyson Fury is already on the table for Joshua in late 2026; however, apparently, for some reason, the U.K. star is going to have a tune-up fight before that.
According
to his promoter Eddie Hearn, discussions for Joshua’s next fight are already heating up — with a return potentially slated for February or March of 2026.
“So, we are moving forward with that plan with His Excellency [Turki Alalshikh],” Hearn told Ariel Helwani. “That would be a fight in February or March, and then hopefully Tyson Fury.”
Hearn added that Feb. 14 was initially floated, though the timeline could slide back depending on medical evaluations.
“It’s seven weeks away this Saturday,” Hearn explained. “We might push it to the middle or end of March.”
One name already being floated as a possible opponent is kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven, the longtime GLORY Heavyweight champion who recently parted ways with the promotion.
“Rico is a name that has been mentioned by certain people,” Hearn added. “Ultimately, we will field offers. We can do with a fight that will prepare us for Tyson Fury— which is a difficult style-wise — so we might look at other opponents as well, but we’re open at the moment…unfortunately for AJ, well not unfortunately because he’s in a wonder position but those conversations will start quite quickly and that’s always a difficult thing to do as normally he just wants to chill out.”
Hearn made it clear that interest is pouring in.
“We’re red hot right now,” Hearn concluded. “Offers are coming in left, right, and center.”
And yet — what could possibly go wrong?
Boxing history is littered with examples of fighters losing tune-up bouts with mega fights looming. Joshua himself knows this lesson better than most. In June 2019, a blockbuster showdown with Deontay Wilder appeared inevitable — until Andy Ruiz Jr. detonated the plans with a shocking upset (watch highlights).
With Joshua vs. Fury, the most anticipated fight in modern U.K. boxing history, finally back on the table after years of false starts, AJ may want to tread carefully.
All it takes is one slip on a banana peel for everything to disappear — again.
