By Tony Mogan

Copyright metro

Joshua’s last fight was a year ago today (Picture: Getty Images)

A year ago today, Anthony Joshua’s world was rocked. Again.

In front of 90,000 at Wembley Stadium, the former heavyweight champion was floored four times as Daniel Dubois blasted the fight out of him. The Olympian was on a run of four consecutive victories, confident, capable and convinced a third world title was in his grasp up against a man he fully expected to beat.

Battered and bruised in his post-fight press conference that night following the fourth and most damaging defeat of his career, Joshua dismissed the inevitable questions of a possible retirement.

12 months have gone by and he has not been in the ring since. It is the longest he has gone without a fight throughout his professional boxing career.

There has been a nagging injury problem that needed to be addressed. In May, his promoter Eddie Hearn revealed he would undergo elbow surgery. Recent social media footage showed Joshua back the gym with Hearn revealing his next fight is likely to fall in January or February next year.

Rather than heading straight into another huge bout, a warm-up against a lower profile opponent is likely to be on the cards.

Even after all these years, even with both men past their prime, the Tyson Fury fight remains the big ticket. But things move quickly in heavyweight boxing.

Joshua suffered the fourth defeat of his career against Dubois (Picture: Getty Images)

Rebuilding Anthony Joshua

A year of inactivity can be costly and while Oleksandr Usyk ruling the world has remained the one constant, the division is moving on. Dubois, the man who left Joshua prone on the canvas, was himself taken apart by the Ukrainian in July, losing his title in equally damaging fashion. Dubois is himself recovering from an injury that will keep him on the shelf until next year.

Joseph Parker is the man next in line for the world titles but has again been made to wait, instead taking a dangerous fight against Fabio Wardley next month.

There is a new kid on the block with 20-year-old Moses Itauma hand-picked by many to be the man to finally dethrone Usyk as soon as the fight can be made. The Kent heavyweight could be heading towards an IBF title eliminator before the years is out – with Joshua falling out of that sanctioning body’s top 10 rankings altogether.

Joshua will turn 36 next month (Picture: PA Wire)

Matchroom have already overseen one Joshua rebuild following his back-to-back defeats to Usyk. It began in comparatively tame fashion against Jermaine Franklin at the O2 Arena in April 2023 before more blistering showings against Robert Helenius and Otto Wallin. Joshua went onto brutalise Francis Nagnnou in March last year just six months after the former UFC heavyweight champion gave Fury hell.

But at 35 years old, is there enough time to plot a similar course back to the top? ‘There is a lot of pressure,’ Frank Smith, Matchroom CEO, told Metro. ‘But Anthony Joshua is still the commercial kingpin in the heavyweight division and if fighters out there want to make big money, they fight AJ.’

‘Joshua needed time out from boxing’

Joshua has not openly discussed the injury and his rehabilitation from his recent elbow issue. But then again, he never does. During his storied career since turning professional off the back of his 2012 Olympic success, he has never really had a prolonged spell out of the ring and on many occasions, has fought with injuries chipping away at him.

‘I had glandular fever against Dominic Breazeale last year, and I fought Michael Sprott with a fractured back in 2014,’ Joshua said 2017.

Joshua wants another world title run (Picture: Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

‘Two weeks before the biggest fight of my life[against Wladimir Klitschko in 2016], I swear I was walking doubled over. Even in this camp I’ve had a bit of a problem with my shoulder, but I just crack on.’

Joshua is not alone in fighting through the pain barrier but after close to a decade at the top, a break was needed. But with the memory of him lying prone on the canvas with Dubois towering above him still seared into the minds of many, getting this latest comeback right is vital. Another defeat at this stage would be devastating and could perhaps spell the end.

‘It’s always been about ensuring that when he comes back, he comes back 100 per cent,’ Smith said. ‘Every fighter goes along with niggles throughout their career but he is at a stage in his career where he is facing maybe the most important decision about what he does next.

‘If he loses, I’m not saying it’s the end but it is a harder road back. AJ gets judged differently by a lot of people. So nothing is over until you decide for it to be over and he will be the one person who determines that. AJ could have another four years in the sport. Who knows. Only he does and only he decides. It is about what drives it. He has got money. So whether it is about the biggest fights or the fights that get him to the world title belt, that is what we will work through now. for now. Realistically, the early part of next year is when you see him back.

‘As you get older, those injuries take more of a toll on you and you have to be more sensible in how you do things and that is what he has been doing. He’s never really had a time when he hasn’t been pushing himself. It’s been non-stop for him and this has been the right call for him. Everyone needs time out.’

Joshua wants to become a three-time world champion (Picture: Getty Images)

Who will AJ fight next?

Who Joshua will fight next year is the big question. Already, talks have taken place for him to achieve a career dream of fighting in Nigeria where Martin Bakole, Deontay Wilder and Tony Yoka have been named as possible opponents.

There could perhaps still be unfinished business with Dillian Whyte, with whom Joshua shared a blistering rivalry with in 2015. A rematch in 2023 was postponed after the Brixton heavyweight’s failed drug test. He has since launched his own return, one that was brutally halted by Itauma last month.

A fight with Itauma would represent an enormous gamble for Joshua at this stage in his career, one with little reward where defeat could cause irreparable damage.

The Fury fight is still there to be made. With world titles out of their reach, Joshua and Fury might need each other now more than ever for what would still perhaps be the biggest payday of their careers. Fury has so far stuck to his most recent retirement decision but as we come to learn over the years, that could change.

The Tyson Fury fight could still happen (Picture: Getty)

Then there is Jake Paul. Positive talks took place this year but ‘The ‘Problem Child’ will instead fight Gervonta Davis in November. Davis is a three-weight world champion and one of the most devastating punchers in the sport but is eight inches shorter than Paul. Paul has fought at weights in excess of 200lbs while Davis currently campaigns 135lbs in the lightweight division.

Were Paul to lose to Davis, a fight against a giant in Joshua in 2026 would surely fade away.

‘Anything is possible,’ Smith said. ‘The Jake Paul fight was spoken about but if he loses to ‘Tank’ there is not much of a fight against Anthony Joshua to be talked about.’

In reality, Joshua’s first opponent back will be someone in the ilk of Franklin, the man he fought after those defeats to Usyk. A opponent who is well-schooled, professional, but lacking the knockout power and world-level ability to rip up the script.

But with heavyweight boxing’s new stars taking over, there is little time to be wasted.

‘He will be aiming to become unified champion again,’ Smith said. ‘People are written off for testing themselves. AJ comes under so much public pressure and the noise is much louder around AJ. But this is nowhere near the end of the journey.’

Matchroom: The Greatest Showmen’ is screening globally on Netflix exclusively from Wednesday, September 17.