When is Anthony Joshua fighting next? Who Anthony Joshua could fight and Andy Ruiz Jr rematch rumours
When Anthony Joshua will fight again and who he will fight next is the main question after he was dethroned from the top of the heavyweight boxing ladder
Anthony Joshua lost all four of his world titles during one of the biggest shocks in boxing history on Saturday night.
The 29-year-old superstar was dethroned by Andy Ruiz Jr at Madison Square Garden, with the Mexican fighter sweeping up the WBA, WBO, IBO, and IBF belts.
Anthony Joshua will be desperate to claw back the belts at the earliest possible opportunity, though the future is uncertain for the British star.
RadioTimes.com rounds up how Joshua will continue in 2019 and beyond, including potential fights and a rematch date with Ruiz.
When will Anthony Joshua's next fight be?
Promoter Eddie Hearn has already stated that Joshua will fight Ruiz by the end of this year.
After the fight, he said: "Listen, tonight was Ruiz’s night but AJ will come back 100% and we will make the rematch in the UK in November or December. But this night now belongs to Andy Ruiz.
“AJ has the heart of a lion and will come back stronger. Now at least we know the opponent for the end of the year in the UK. Absolutely we will enact the immediate rematch. He will be devastated when it sinks in. It makes the fall fight a must-win.”
However... things weren't quite so confirmed and clear when Joshua was asked about the rematch...
Will Anthony Joshua fight Andy Ruiz Jr in rematch?
Speaking after the fight, Joshua claimed he was so certain of victory, he didn't ask about the existence of a rematch clause.
He told reporters: “I didn’t even ask about a rematch clause because I was so confident I was going to win.
"If it’s there, we’ll go again and I’ll get the titles back. I’m going to beat him up.
"I’m not dwelling on it. You just correct it, you adjust, you sit down, you focus and you go again.”
With so much at stake for Joshua – regardless of the odds – a rematch clause is expected to be in the contract, but reclaiming all four belts may not be a straightforward task.
Reports suggest Ruiz could be called to defend his new IBF title against mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev before any Joshua showdown can happen.
However, with such an enormous pay-day on offer for Ruiz if he takes on Joshua again, he is likely to decline the Pulev challenge and be forced to relinquish the belt, meaning it will go up for grabs among the heated heavyweight division.
Will Anthony Joshua fight Tyson Fury or Deontay Wilder?
Both Fury and Wilder reacted in very different ways to Joshua's defeat.
Fury produced a classy statement backing the British star to come back stronger:
However, Wilder was quick to put the boot into Joshua:
Both stars have called out Joshua in recent months but some tactical manoeuvring saw him, Wilder and Fury all head in separate directions.
It is heavily expected that Joshua will indeed go for Ruiz again this year, and if he gets his revenge, he will once again be target No 1 for the other contenders.
Wilder faces Luiz Ortiz next while Fury takes on Tom Schwarz in Las Vegas in mid-June, but Wilder has already tweeted to claim a rematch contract between himself and Fury has been signed, pending official confirmation.
The winner of that rematch is likely to angle for a shot at Joshua in 2020.
Authors
Michael Potts is the Sport Editor for Radio Times, covering all of the biggest sporting events across the globe with previews, features, interviews and more. He has worked for Radio Times since 2019 and previously worked on the sport desk at Express.co.uk after starting his career writing features for What Culture. He achieved a first-class degree in Sports Journalism in 2014.
