After nearly a year away from the ring, Anthony Joshua appears poised for a return, with plans potentially shaping up for later this year. The former two-time heavyweight world champion hasn’t fought since suffering a tough loss to Daniel Dubois in September 2024, which ended his four-fight win streak. Though an immediate rematch was initially expected, minor injuries from that bout delayed his comeback. Now at 35, Anthony Joshua is targeting a return to action following elbow surgery, eyeing a competitive fight before the end of 2025. Meanwhile, Dubois has moved on to a high-stakes showdown with Oleksandr Usyk on July 19 at Wembley, with all four world titles on the line.

Amidst these developments, Anthony Joshua recently made headlines outside the ring by spending time with members of the Saudi royal family. Just hours ago, he shared clips from the visit on his Instagram story, keeping fans intrigued about what’s next for the British heavyweight. In a recent Instagram story, Anthony Joshua gave fans an exclusive look into his Saudi visit.

The former heavyweight champ first shared a clip meeting Saudi figure Jav Zafar, who welcomed him warmly to the Kingdom. Next, Joshua posed with Ziyad Almaayouf, Saudi Arabia’s first-ever professional boxer. Later, he re-shared a photo posted by Prince Khaled bin Abdulaziz, showing Anthony Joshua alongside the prince’s two sons. Anthony Joshua even joined the kids in a music studio, playfully dropping a freestyle verse. “I pull up in the studio… new kid on the block… let me jump back on a drop, all I speak is that hip hop, mixed with lil bit pop, never ever gonna stop, we in Saudi, got my lyrics ger rowdy, I was in Texas. howdy !!” He then wrapped the trip by posting a clip of himself boarding a jet, and wrote, “Shukran Saudi Arabia, until next time.”

While the social moments were captivating, the boxing world is focused on what comes next for AJ inside the ring. Earlier this week, NoSmoke Sport reported that Anthony Joshua was in talks for a three-fight deal with HE Turki Alalshikh. However, Eddie Hearn was quick to set the record straight in a conversation with BoxingScene, clarifying, “That’s not true, we are actually discussing a two-fight deal with Riyadh Season.” According to Hearn, the talks began during a May 3rd meeting on the night of Canelo vs. William Scull, with plans to have Anthony Joshua fight again in October, November, or December.

As for who might be in the opposite corner, Hearn left several doors open. The results of Daniel Dubois vs. Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury’s future could shape AJ’s next move. If those big names aren’t immediately available, Hearn confirmed that Joshua will still fight this year and potentially pursue the winners afterward. He also mentioned two names already being considered, Dillian Whyte and Jared Anderson. “Two guys that have been discussed, but nothing concrete,” Hearn said, fueling anticipation about Joshua’s next opponent. However, there’s still one more fight Anthony Joshua has his sights set on. With whom?

Want to face Anthony Joshua? You better look “Sensational” first

Deontay Wilder, of course. ‘The Bronze Bomber’ is eyeing a comeback after a year-long layoff following a devastating fifth-round knockout loss to Zhilei Zhang. The 39-year-old has struggled to regain momentum since his back-to-back defeats against Tyson Fury and now returns to face 24-5 journeyman Tyrrell Anthony Herndon of San Antonio, Texas. But this comeback raises a bigger question. What condition has Anthony Joshua set before he’ll agree to face Wilder in the ring?

According to a May 28th report by ESPN, Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn revealed, “He’ll only fight once this year,” referring to Joshua. The British star, who hasn’t fought since his loss to Daniel Dubois, is targeting a return in mid-September. Hearn is also hoping that by then, there will be clarity on whether Tyson Fury will consider stepping out of retirement for one final showdown, something he’s been reluctant to entertain, at least publicly.

Despite ongoing buzz about the long-awaited all-British clash between Joshua and Fury, ‘The Gypsy King’ has doubled down on his retirement, dismissing talk of a comeback. Still, Hearn remains hopeful. “And by then, we will know for sure if Fury is going to return or not,” he said. In the meantime, all eyes are also on the July 19th title unification between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois at Wembley, but given the short turnaround, Anthony Joshua likely won’t face the winner next.

That leaves Wilder as the most realistic option, but only if he passes the eye test. “If Wilder comes back and looks sensational, we’ll probably start talking about it again. I don’t rule it out,” Hearn told ESPN. With Anthony Joshua now working his way back to full fitness and the heavyweight picture shifting rapidly, the coming months could finally set the stage for a long-anticipated clash. But the big questions is, Will Wilder return to form? Will Fury really stay retired? And if the fight happens, can Wilder overcome Anthony Joshua?