Anthony Joshua targets Dubois vs Parker winner for next fight

Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is set to be in Riyadh this weekend to watch Daniel Dubois vs. Joseph Parker.

Anthony Joshua, currently ranked No. 7 by The Ring, has been weighing his next move since suffering a brutal fifth-round knockout loss to Dubois last September. Initially, a long-anticipated clash with Tyson Fury seemed to be on the horizon.

However, Fury has since announced his retirement, leaving Joshua to explore other options. A rematch with Dubois could be on the cards—should Dubois successfully defend his IBF heavyweight title against Parker.

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The negotiations for a potential Joshua-Dubois rematch could be complicated, with WBA, WBO, WBC, and The Ring champion Oleksandr Usyk aiming to become a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion.

Dubois has made it clear that he wants another shot at Usyk, after suffering a ninth-round TKO loss to the Ukrainian in August 2023.

But Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, insists that Anthony Joshua’s priority remains either a world title fight or a mega-bout with Fury—if he comes out of retirement.

Speaking to iFL TV, Hearn emphasised Anthony Joshua’s ambitions:

“Joshua will be back, and he’ll be back with a vengeance. He’ll be at the fight this weekend, and once it’s over, we’ll start planning his next move.”

“Without Tyson Fury, AJ’s number one priority is to fight for the world heavyweight title, and he’s not going to be fighting Usyk. So, it’s about the winner of Saturday night’s fight between Dubois and Parker.”

Fury suffered his second consecutive loss to Usyk in December 2024, and while he expressed frustration over the judges’ 116-112 scorecards, he has remained out of the spotlight since retiring in January.

However, Hearn hinted that discussions about Fury’s return could surface soon.

“Maybe in a week, two weeks, or three weeks, we have a conversation where we say, ‘Fury, do you want to fight AJ in the summer—August or September? Because if you want to come out of retirement, now is the time to do it.'”