It has been nearly 2 months since Daniel Dubois stopped Anthony Joshua in the latter’s quest for the IBF Heavyweight championship. The ‘Dynamite’ caused one of the year’s biggest upsets and dropped AJ four times in front of 90,000 fans at Wembley Stadium before ultimately knocking him out in the fifth round.

Since then, the Watford native’s future plans have been up in the air. AJ initially wanted an immediate rematch with Dubois. But subsequent days saw Dubois’ promoter Frank Warren revealing that Joshua was not too eager for the rematch. While the likelihood of an immediate rematch looks bleak, as the IBF heavyweight champion will defend his title against another contender in February 2025, the 28-4 boxer is looking for other possible matches for his return. Things have not been looking good for AJ, but his promoter, Eddie Hearn, is of a different opinion and still thinks of his fighter as the biggest name in the heavyweight category. The Matchroom Boxing honcho sat down with Sky Sports and laid down the facts that might be hard to swallow for everyone.

Eddie Hearn’s not worried about Anthony Joshua

The 45-year-old stated to ‘Pro Boxing Fans’ that he is not worried about AJ and his future in boxing at all. According to him, people can’t digest the fact that even after losing, the former unified heavyweight champion’s popularity hasn’t gone down. He stated, “As frustrating as it is to certain people in boxing, AJ is arguably still the biggest star in the heavyweight division, having just lost,” in a confident tone.

Hearn further stated that despite the loss, Anthony Joshua has plenty of options to fight and can choose anyone he wants. “That’s the reality of the situation. He’s going to be fine. He can walk into any fight he wants,” stated Hearn.

While there is no doubt regarding the popularity and stardom of AJ, the “biggest star in the heavyweight division” claim by Hearn is up for debate. The 28-4 boxer desperately needs a comeback win to solidify his position once again. Only after that, he will be able and motivated enough to challenge Daniel Dubois for a rematch. For that, AJ has to choose his next opponent carefully. But according to Hearn, the 6’6 feet boxer has his work cut out for him as they have already identified his next opponent.

Is Tyson Fury next?

The 45-year-old promoter has identified Tyson Fury as AJ’s next opponent irrespective of the result of the latter’s rematch against Oleksandr Usyk. The Gypsy King will face the unified heavyweight champion on December 21, 2024, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in a much-anticipated rematch.

While Fury has stated that he wants to reclaim his lost titles, Hearn believes that it does not matter whether the Manchester native wins or loses. He stated, “Maybe we will fight him in the summer, or maybe we will see what happens on December 21. I think Fury, win or lose, will want to fight AJ next and that’s something we’ve got to decide.”

While Hearn seems confident about Fury’s future decision, no one really knows what the 34-1-1 boxer will do after losing for the second time against Usyk. On the other hand, Daniel Dubois’ promoter, Frank Warren, has claimed that Anthony Joshua has “got to establish some credibility” before demanding a rematch. For that, the Watford native has to rack up some quick wins.

But while AJ is rebuilding his credibility, anything can happen, and if Dubois loses in the meantime and Fury denies him a match, Anthony Joshua’s option dies down severely. So, even if Eddie Hearn is confident about his boxer’s future, the reality tells otherwise.

What do you think about Eddie Hearn’s statement? Is Anthony Joshua still the biggest star in the heavyweight division? Let us know your thoughts down below.