By Sam Brookes

Copyright independent

Anthony Joshua is currently pondering his next career move after spending 12 months away from the boxing ring following his knockout defeat by Daniel Dubois last September.

His promoter Eddie Hearn has revealed the 35-year-old is planning to make a comeback in late 2025 or early 2026.

But former cruiserweight world champion Johnny Nelson insists Joshua has nothing left to prove and has called for him to retire.

Joshua has a big decision to make and cannot afford to get it wrong after his disastrous outing against Dubois.

Here, we look at the options available to Joshua as he weighs up his future.

It’s the fight everyone has been talking about for a decade.

Ever since Joshua and Fury won their first world titles within five months of each other, it seemed like a domestic showdown was inevitable.

But, for one reason or another, the grudge match has never happened.

Fury is now 37, while Joshua will turn 36 next month, and there is an argument that the fight has lost the appeal it once had.

However, it is still a clash between two of the biggest names in the sport that would sell out Wembley in a heartbeat.

Joshua called out Fury earlier this month as he branded his rival “dippy”. Fury is yet to publicly respond and is currently retired after walking away from boxing at the start of the year.

The chance to settle his differences with Joshua could get the juices flowing, though, and 2026 may be the year we finally see the two British heavyweights share the ring.

An alternative route would be for Joshua to try and win another world title.

The 2012 Olympic gold medallist is a two-time heavyweight champion and may still believe he can climb to the top of the mountain again.

Muhammad Ali famously won the heavyweight title on three separate occasions, and Joshua could look to emulate one of his heroes.

He had the opportunity when he took on Dubois but was unable to gain a foothold in the fight as he was knocked down multiple times before being stopped in the fifth round.

Due to his lack of activity since that Dubois loss, Joshua has slipped out of The Ring’s heavyweight rankings, and he is not in a mandatory position with any of the governing bodies.

Yet he is still arguably the biggest draw in boxing’s blue-riband division which could allow him to jump the queue.

Undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk is nearing the end of his career and will want the biggest payday possible, which could lead to a trilogy bout with Joshua.

The Ukrainian great may also opt to relinquish some of his titles, leaving Joshua in the mix to potentially land a fight for a vacant belt.

This seems unlikely but cannot be completely ruled out. Johnny Nelson wants Joshua to hang up his gloves, and he may not be the only one with concerns about the Brit’s comeback plans.

Joshua looked a shadow of his former self when he was soundly beaten by Dubois, and he is not getting any younger.

A period of inactivity is unlikely to have helped Joshua either. He has often delivered his best performances when he has fought regularly, but getting in the ring on a consistent basis has been a problem in recent years.

Only Joshua will know if he still has the hunger and the ability to get back to the top of the heavyweight division.

If he is showing signs of decline in the gym or is lacking motivation, it could be best for him to retire rather than returning and potentially losing to someone he would have swept aside with ease in his prime.

This appears to be the favoured option for Joshua right now.

Having not fought in over a year, he is not expected to be thrown straight in with a world-beater.

Taking a tune-up fight with a respected opponent could be the perfect compromise between chasing a big fight and retiring.

It would allow Joshua to gauge his current level and whether it is worth continuing to box on afterwards.

Should he deliver a lacklustre display, this could signal it is time to bring an end to his memorable career.

However, if he looks somewhere near his best, he will gain the confidence he desperately needs to pursue a major fight, potentially against Fury, in 2026.

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