Boxing

Who could Anthony Joshua fight in a warm-up before a possible fight with Tyson Fury?

Published

6 months ago

April 15, 2026

Anthony Joshua needs an opponent for his next fight to properly prepare for his fight with Tyson Fury.

This was confirmed by promoter Eddie Hearn Talks are ongoing about the long-awaited fight with Furyand Joshua is set to have a warm-up fight in July, which will be his first return to the ring since his involvement in in December, a tragic car accident killed two of his friends.

Joshua previously defeated Jake Paul after losing to Daniel Dubois by knockout. Fury’s comeback from retirement to overtake Arslanbek Makhmudov and his subsequent call on Joshua made the dream clash with the British heavyweight once again a reality.

But first, a warm-up fight. Against whom? Hearn said Joshua would fight someone of a “similar level” to defeated opponent Fury Makhmudov. Here are some names that might fit the bill…

Justi Huni

Australian challenger Justis Huni (13-1, 7 KO) defeated Frazer Clarke by majority decision in the Fury vs. match over the weekend. Makhmudov, thus setting the best result of his career so far. Huni’s ceiling of possibilities has yet to be discovered.

Last year, he outplayed and outscored Fabio Wardley for nine rounds until he was the victim of a knockout from behind, his only loss to date.

Huni’s next step after defeating Clarke will likely be to target a world-class opponent with an even higher profile. However, if he doesn’t achieve a gigantic victory himself or finish high in the rankings, he may become an option that will determine Joshua’s return to the ring.

Seven years ago, then aged 20, Huni traveled to Sheffield to train with Joshua. Meeting him in the ring would be a full circle moment.

Cassius Chaney

6-foot-6 American heavyweight (24-4, 17 KO) Cassius Chaney was on the shortlist to fight Joshua before the former champion ultimately decided to face Paul in delayed 2025.

“It sucks to miss a great opportunity but there’s nothing wrong with it, that’s business,” Chaney told Sky Sports. “I’m glad I’m knocking on the door. Everything is finally working out.”

Interestingly, Chaney then worked with Paul in the build-up to the fight with Joshua as a sparring partner. He is the same height as the Briton, and the former YouTuber-turned-boxer has used his level of physicality in his preparation.

Before Paul’s fight camp and his dealings with Joshua, Chaney fought relatively unnoticed. At 38 years elderly, fighting Joshua would be a gigantic deal and a great way to potentially end his career.

Chaney last fought in January when he was defeated by Alexander Flores by seventh-round stoppage. He could be a safe and sound, low-risk fight for Joshua as he works to get back to the levels required for the Fury.

Guido Vianello

Nicknamed “Gladiator”, the 31-year-old Italian (14-3-1, 12 KO) challenged Joshua several times, even proposing the Roman Colosseum as the venue for any fight.

“Now I want to have a gigantic name,” he said last year. “You want to know what gigantic name I want? Anthony Joshua. I want Anthony Joshua. I want him in front of me. Let’s fight in Rome, the Colosseum, London – whatever you want. But give me the gigantic name, please. I don’t have extra time, I want to win now.”

Vianello’s stock rose in 2024 and 2025 when he defeated Arslanbek Makhmudov by stoppage and brutally knocked out undefeated Alexis Barriere.

The dismantling of Barriere was impressive from Vianello, who imposed his size and strength on the fight after taking several counterattacks in the earlier rounds.

It was a timely reminder of what Vianello could do. Defeats to Efe Ajagba and Richard Torrez Jr. caused his reputation to suffer, but may result in him being considered a rival to Joshua.

Murat Gasijew

The Russian, currently the holder of the “regular” WBA heavyweight belt, would be an compelling test for Joshua despite losing two inches of height and six inches of reach. Murat Gassiev (33-2, 26 KO) is stylistically a mini-heavyweight who focuses on crushing strength and endurance, not elite footwork.

He is a former unified cruiserweight champion who lost an undisputed title fight to Oleksandr Usyk. It seeks to work the body while providing powerful power when required. Gassijew’s last appearance came in December, when he knocked out Kubrat Pulev, also a former opponent of Joshua.

A furious left hook was too much for the aging Pulev, but Joshua would be a much sterner test of Gassiev’s greatness at heavyweight. Gassiev, 34, also said he was preparing for a summer fight and even invoked the name of British sensation Moses Itauma.

“I’m just training,” he said. “We have a plan to fight in the middle of summer, like in July, and we are working on it now.”

Dillian Whyte

A rematch with Dillian Whyte has long been planned for Joshua and has already failed once.

Whyte and Joshua were fierce rivals early in their careers and clashed in an incensed clash, which Joshua won by knockout before becoming world champion. A rematch was planned three years ago but was canceled when Whyte presented unfavorable drug test results.

Perhaps now that Joshua is looking for a rival to strengthen, Whyte’s idea will be presented to him again.

Whyte has not appeared in the ring and has no next fight scheduled after being knocked down in a round by Moses Itauma last August. He has only fought three times in the last three years and he is currently 38 years elderly.

His threat level could be seen as an all-time low, and a rematch with Joshua ties into the bad blood storyline from their youth.

Whyte told Sky Sports: “I would love it, but no one has mentioned it to me and I don’t know anything about it. And AJ probably most likely wants to fight Deontay Wilder right now.”

Deontay Wilder

Deontay Wilder (45-4-1, 43 KO) was once Joshua’s dream opponent. It was a clash of two powerful knockouts from both sides of the Atlantic, who both held heavyweight titles. But the Wilder vs. Joshua, like Fury vs. Joshua, also never happened, even though it seemed close in 2018. Now? This was mentioned in very different circumstances.

Wilder lost four of six fights before he overtook Derek Chisora in a bruising contest in London earlier this month. Now the 40-year-old former WBC champion, once considered one of the greatest boxers in boxing history, can fight his last fight against the elite of his division.

Flame in the Wilder vs. fight Joshua caught fire again when the Briton appeared in the ring during the American’s fight with Chisora. Wilder walked past Joshua before the fight, avoiding eye contact, creating an icy, awkward moment that sparked novel intrigue in this forgotten fight.

Wilder then punched Joshua and muttered “let’s do it”, before being overheard claiming his rival was “scared”.

Wilder opened the door to a fight with Joshua, saying: “It wasn’t just a few words, I discussed it with him and said, ‘Now let’s get down to business.’ I’m ready for anyone, as long as these guys are heavyweight, I’m here.”

Joshua’s promoter Hearn cheekily suggested Wilder – once his biggest rival – as his warm-up opponent this summer.

“We have made it clear that we are ready to fight Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury back-to-back,” Hearn said. “I’m not being disrespectful that Wilder is a warm-up fight.”

Boxing

Robert Garcia Supports Affordable Joe Cordina for Pacquiao Showdown

Published

2 hours ago

October 2, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

Robert Garcia Supports Affordable Joe Cordina for Pacquiao Showdown

Robert Garcia backs Joe Cordina as an affordable opponent for Manny Pacquiao on the Tyson Fury–Anthony Joshua undercard, giving Netflix another famous name without the expense of adding a second major headliner.

Cordina would bring Welsh support to the proposed December 11 fight in Cardiff. However, Garcia’s endorsement rests partly on what he would cost, leaving the boxing question of how a former super featherweight champion would handle Pacquiao at welterweight.

“Cordina’s perfect – somebody not [commercially big enough to] cost them tens of millions of dollars,” Garcia told BoxingScene.

Garcia believes Netflix wants Pacquiao’s worldwide audience. Cordina offers a way to secure that attraction while adding a local fighter whose asking price should be more manageable than another established headliner’s.

The matchmaking deserves closer examination. Cordina does his best work when he can measure distance, time opponents coming forward and land accurate counters. Anthony Cacace disrupted that rhythm with sustained pressure, leaving Cordina unable to keep the fight at a comfortable pace.

Pacquiao would present a different version of that difficulty. His sudden entries and combinations from changing angles could force Cordina to react before setting his feet. Being the younger fighter would not necessarily protect Cordina if he struggled to read those attacks.

Whether Pacquiao can still produce them consistently at 47 is another question. Cordina could find opportunities between bursts if Pacquiao needs longer rests, making the older fighter’s conditioning as relevant as his remaining speed.

For Cordina, accepting would be understandable. Beating Pacquiao would bring international attention that few available opponents could offer. A defeat at a higher weight would be easier to explain, although a damaging stoppage could undermine the financial reward.

A catchweight could reduce the size of Cordina’s jump, but no such agreement has been announced. Hearn’s proposal remains unconfirmed, with Cordina’s pending court case also affecting his availability. Garcia has explained why the pairing could fit the budget; Cordina would still have to prove it suits him inside the ring.

About the author

Boxing 24/7 Wire

Boxing247.com is an independent boxing news publication covering the sport since 2001. It provides original reporting, fight analysis, schedules, results, and informed coverage of major fighters and events worldwide, backed by more than 25 years of professional boxing journalism.

Boxing

Liam Smith Puts Ben Whittaker to the Test Under Intense Pressure

Published

6 hours ago

October 2, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

"Liam Smith Puts Ben Whittaker to the Test Under Intense Pressure"

Liam Smith believes Ben Whittaker’s talent could take him to a world title, but questions how his style holds up against an opponent who keeps pressing after the early rounds. Ahead of the Conor Wallace fight, that remains an unanswered question about the 29-year-old.

Whittaker has been matched cautiously for someone with an Olympic silver medal and extensive amateur experience. His professional opposition has given him opportunities to display his reflexes, but little evidence of how those skills survive sustained pressure from a world-class light heavyweight.

“It’s difficult to win a round against Ben Whittaker fresh and sharp,” said Liam Smith during the panel discussion. “But a 12-round fight, they’re not the same fighters in the back half, the back six. To kind of get to fighters like that, you’ve got to be able to still have the mindset, ‘I’m going to be down after four or five rounds, but then it’s my type of fight.’”

The first Liam Cameron fight gave those concerns substance. Whittaker was having difficulty before both fighters went over the ropes and he could not continue. To this writer, the ending invited the argument that he wanted out as Cameron’s pressure became harder to manage. That interpretation remains debatable, and his impressive rematch victory deserves recognition.

His Olympic experience also deserves a fair reading. Whittaker beat Russia’s Imam Khataev 4–1 before losing to Cuba’s Arlen Lopez in the final. Those results hardly suggest he cannot compete with elite amateurs, but three rounds cannot answer Smith’s question about the later stages of a professional fight.

The matchmaking is harder to explain. Across two promoters, Whittaker has received the sort of gradual development usually reserved for fighters with considerably less amateur experience. At 29, he still needs a world-class professional opponent.

That does not prove his handlers doubt him, but it gives reason to question what they are waiting to see. Wallace can help answer Smith’s concerns if he keeps Whittaker working beyond the comfortable early rounds.

About the author

Boxing News 24 Desk

BoxingNews24.com has delivered independent boxing coverage since 2007, including original news, fight analysis, schedules, and results. Our experienced boxing writers cover major fighters and events worldwide, with published content reviewed by editors for accuracy.

Boxing

Filip Hrgovic Aims for Heavyweight Rematch: I Want My Shot

Published

11 hours ago

October 2, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

Filip Hrgovic Aims for Heavyweight Rematch: "I Want My Shot"

Filip Hrgovic has named a potential rematch as his most desirable fight, rather than a more likely title defence against mandatory challenger Frank Sanchez.

The Croatian did, of course, become a world heavyweight champion in August, claiming the vacant IBF title with a stunning ninth-round stoppage of Moses Itauma.

Throughout their contest, Hrgovic was getting thoroughly outboxed and even suffered a second-round knockdown, before managing to take advantage of a severely fatigued Itauma.

As a result, the 34-year-old fulfilled his long-term ambition of becoming a major champion but, soon enough, will be ordered to face leading contender Sanchez.

It was agreed, after all, that the winner of Itauma-Hrgovic would need to defend his belt against the Cuban, who accepted step-aside money under the condition that he is entitled to an immediate title shot.

From the perspective of Hrgovic, however, a unification match with former foe Daniel Dubois is far more appealing, given that it would present him with a shot at revenge and the chance to claim another title.

Speaking with The Stomping Ground‘El Animal’ highlighted this as his preferred option, despite suffering an eighth-round stoppage defeat to ‘Dynamite’ in June 2024.

“That Dubois rematch would be the best fight for me. And to get my revenge – to get [a] unification – that will be the best fight for me. But we’ll see.”

While Hrgovic, clearly, is determined to exact his revenge on Dubois, he must first defend his IBF title against Sanchez while Dubois, as the WBO champion, is entering a rematch with Fabio Wardley on October 17.