Anthony Joshua has named his favourite ever opponent ahead of facing domestic rival Tyson Fury later this year.

Their long-awaited showdown is set to be staged in November, yet there has still been no announcement regarding a specific date, location and promoter.

Perhaps more importantly, Joshua and Fury must also come through their respective warm-up fights against Kristian Prenga and Mariusz Wach, which will take place at the end of this month in Saudi Arabia and Thailand.

Both are heavily favoured to emerge victorious on that particular weekend, yet there is always the possibility of an injury or upset.

It is more likely, however, that the two British heavyweights will eventually lock horns, albeit at a time when they are long past their primes.

Both were considered close to their best when they secured respective victories over Wladimir Klitschko, who ‘AJ’ defeated with an 11th-round finish in 2017.

This came after Fury dethroned the long-reigning champion in 2015, yet Joshua’s triumph was nonetheless considered an impressive result at the time.

And with no shortage of respect between the Brit and Ukrainian, it is hardly surprising that Joshua has named Klitschko as his favourite ever opponent.

Speaking with DAZNthe 36-year-old immediately said “Wladimir” when asked the question, perhaps reflecting on their thrilling encounter at Wembley Stadium.

Both heavyweights had suffered ponderous knockdowns, with ‘AJ’ being sent to the canvas for the first time in his career in the sixth roundbut it was Joshua who ultimately floored his older opponent on two more occasions in round 11.

Having already claimed the IBF belt, the then-unbeaten champion added the vacant WBA strap to his collection and reigned as the unified king until 2019, when he suffered a major upset defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr.

Joe Joyce could land himself an unexpected world title shot, having been named as the frontrunner to face a heavyweight KO specialist.

The 40-year-old has not fought since his 10-round unanimous decision defeat to Filip Hrgovicwho stepped in as a overdue replacement for Dillian Whyte in April 2025.

Prior to that, Joyce lost another unanimous decision in July 2024, this time against fellow veteran Derek Chisorawhich caused many to speculate about the Olympic silver medallist’s future in the sport.

His back-to-back stoppage defeats to Zhilei Zhang in 2023 offered the first impression that, at this stage in his career, Joyce is no longer the ‘Juggernaut’ of aged.

Yet despite losing four of his last five fights, the Londoner is scheduled to face unbeaten Russian Artem Suslenkov at the VTB Arena, Moscow, on July 11.

This was supposed to feature on the undercard of Murat Gassiev vs Tony Yoka, only for the main event to be scuppered after Yoka pulled out with a back injury.

Gassiev, however, is now searching for a fresh opponent to defend his world title against, having been elevated from ‘regular’ to full WBA champion following Oleksandr Usyk’s decision to relinquish his three belts.

According to The RingJoyce is currently the frontrunner to take on such a challenge.

“Tony Yoka is now out of his WBA heavyweight title clash against Murat Gassiev due to a back injury.

“The Ring has learned that alternative opponents are being lined up for Gassiev’s return later this month, with Joe Joyce as the most likely option.”

Gassiev, who is now a two-division world champion, has not fought since his sixth-round finish over a 44-year-old Kubrat Pulev last December.

Veteran boxing reporter Dan Rafael broke the news on X.

“Per source involved, Tony Yoka has suffered a back injury and is out of his fight with WBA heavyweight titlist Murat Gassiev,” Rafael wrote. “Undetermined yet if it will be rescheduled or if a modern opponent will be sought.”

No official replacement has been announced, and it remains unclear whether organizers will move quickly to find another opponent for Gassiev or postpone the bout altogether.

The contest was scheduled to headline a July 11 card at Moscow’s VTB Arena and would have been the first defense of Gassiev’s WBA “Regular” heavyweight title. The former unified cruiserweight champion has been looking to establish himself as a force in the heavyweight division after capturing the secondary WBA belt earlier this year.

For Yoka, the withdrawal is another frustrating setback. The 2016 Olympic gold medalist had been aiming to secure the biggest victory of his professional career after rebuilding momentum with recent wins following a hard stretch that included several defeats and multiple canceled opportunities.

With little more than a week remaining before the event, promoters now face a race against the clock to determine whether Gassiev will defend his title against a tardy replacement or if the fight will have to be pushed back to a later date.

On paper, it was a curious title defense from the moment it was announced. Yoka remained a recognizable name because of his 2016 Olympic gold medal, but his professional career never matched the hype. Nine years after turning pro, the 15-3 Frenchman had built his record largely against circumscribed opposition, while each of his biggest tests against Martin Bakole, Carlos Takam and Ryad Merhy ended in defeat.