Anthony Joshua boldly suggested who Tyson Fury should face before his fight later this year.

Long-term rivals Joshua and Fury will finally do battle in late 2026provided that Joshua first defeats Kristian Prenga in a warm-up fight on July 25.

Fury had his own fight back in April when he defeated Arslanbek Makhmudov by unanimous decision, and while it initially appeared that “The Gypsy King” would immediately turn his attention to Joshua, he is now ready to compete again in the break.

No opponent has been announced yet and that’s what led Joshua to this tell TalkSport that he felt Fury should face rising star Moses Itauma, referring to what he told himself when deciding who he would face in a warm-up fight.

“Is he fighting Itauma? He told me when I was looking for an opponent: ‘fight Wardley, fight Itauma, these fights are uncomplicated to fight.’

“That would be the perfect name because they all have the same promotion. If Fury is who he says he is, he should step forward and Frank should put his fighter forward instead of worrying about what I’m doing.”

Itauma is viewed by many as a future heavyweight champion of the world and currently holds an undefeated record of 14-0 with 12 knockouts, the most recent of which came in March when he stopped Jermaine Franklin in five rounds.

Despite Joshua’s snide comments, a fight between Itauma and Fury is highly unlikely as Fury expects a much less hazardous opponent and Itauma looks set to face Filip Hrgovic this summer.

These concerns were greatly heightened on May 23 when Frank Sanchez stopped Torrez in two rounds at the Pyramids of Giza. The fight was over almost before it started. Sanchez looked bigger, stronger and more comfortable at the level Torrez is trying to achieve. This was Torrez’s first time facing a true top contender, and the difference was obvious.

Top Rank now faces a decision that every promotional company ultimately must make. Promoters invest in fighters because they believe those fighters can become contenders, champions, attractions, or all three. When the evidence begins to point in a different direction, the calculations quickly change.

The easiest path would be to rebuild Torrez against a series of carefully selected opponents. He could win four or five fights in a row and return to the top of the rankings. His record will improve and his confidence may return. The more significant question is whether anyone will learn anything up-to-date from this process.

Fans have already seen his struggles with Vianello. They saw Sanchez stop him in two rounds. Beating a group of journeymen and second-rate heavyweights would fix the numbers next to his name, but it wouldn’t answer the questions that now follow him.

Another issue is time. Oleksandr Usyk is approaching retirement, Tyson Fury is 37 years venerable and Anthony Joshua is approaching the final stages of his career. The heavyweight stars who generate the biggest paydays could be gone before Torrez completes a long rebuild.

This reality means that more and more attention is being paid to the next generation. Moses Itauma could eventually become the main attraction, and a future fight with Torrez could have value if both remain relevant. Torrez can’t reach this stage by beating overworked opponents for the next two years. He would need significant wins over legitimate challengers before fans or broadcasters would take such a fight seriously.

The brutal reality is that Top Rank may soon have to decide whether Torrez is a contender worth investing in or simply a heavyweight whose level is above his. Fans have already seen warning signs after both Vianello and Sanchez’s fights, and rebuilding the record is easier than rebuilding faith.

If Top Rank concludes that Torrez cannot beat good heavyweights, boxing history suggests there is only one outcome. Promotional companies looking to get ahead rarely invest in fighters they no longer view as future contenders. At some point, they redirect their resources elsewhere and focus on prospects with a clearer path to the top.

I wish you a very joyful birthday #HighestRank Olympic silver medalist in the heavyweight and Olympic categories @RichardTorrez21 💪 pic.twitter.com/aSQQrgQLFe

— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) June 1, 2026

Following his impressive win over Juno Nakatani, Naoya Inoue is being linked to a fight with Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, and fellow pound-for-pound title challenger Shakur Stevenson has shared his predictions for the proposed fight.

Inoue defended his undisputed super bantamweight crown with a unanimous decision victory over Nakatani a month ago at the Tokyo Dome, which cemented his claim to the number one spot in the super bantamweight division, especially after Oleksandr Usyk’s close shave against Rico Verhoeven.

After the Japanese star cleared out the 122-pound division, fight fans are now discussing the prospect of facing unified super flyweight champion Rodriguez before his planned move up to featherweight.

I’m talking to Boxing in the match roomWBO super-lightweight champion Stevenson believes “Bam” could prove to be Inoue’s “Kryptonite,” pointing out that Inoue was knocked down by left-hander Luis Nery and that Rodriguez, who is also a southpaw, has the power to knock the undefeated feeling to its knees.

“I like Bam, I can’t fight Bam. I know Bam, Bam is my guy. I think Inoue is a great fighter, but I think Bam might be his Kryptonite.

“I saw him [Inoue] get dropped by the southpaw and I think Bam hits so tough he could drop him too.”

Rodriguez is already ready to move up from super flyweight when next weekend at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, he will fight for the WBA bantamweight world title of Antonio Vargas. It is believed that if he succeeds, the undefeated American will subsequently demand an attack on Inoue and move up one more league to make it happen.

Promoter Eddie Hearn said preliminary talks have taken place and that his man Rodriguez is more than willing to travel to Japan for the fight.