Ranking Anthony Joshua's Likeliest Next Opponent

In the past year, few narratives have twisted with as much ferocity as the saga of Anthony Joshua. His crushing fifth-round knockout defeat at the hands of Daniel Dubois last September wasn’t just a loss—it was the day that Great Britain stood still. The vicious stoppage at the hands of the man aptly named Dynamite represented a spectacular upheaval in front of a record-breaking crowd of over 96,000 at Wembley, and it sent fault lines through the entire landscape of British boxing.

AJ, formerly the poster-boy of modern heavyweights, now gazes up a mountain that he may never climb again. As if the pain of defeat weren't enough, Oleksandr Usyk’s relentless mastery has once again ensured that championship gold belongs in Ukraine. The unbeaten veteran dispatched Dubois for the second time, months after the young Brit knocked out Joshua, reasserting himself as the undisputed champion.

Usyk—already the man to twice unpick Joshua’s strengths—has, almost single-handedly, closed the title gates in AJ’s face. For the first time in years, the path to a championship belt is not merely complicated for Joshua—it’s possibly blocked for good. If that is the case, who does the 2012 Olympic gold medalist fight next? Well, here are the two most likely options.

Dave Allen

Redemption—real redemption—rarely arrives with gentleness, but if Eddie Hearn seeks the perfect blend of low risk and domestic drama, Dave Allen awaits. The White Rhino secured redemption of his own last back in May, rejuvenating his journeyman career with a shocking KO win over Johnny Fisher. Now, the Donny de la Hoya will roll the dice once again, with a potential shot at Joshua hinging on an all-or-nothing collision with dangerous Russian powerhouse Arslanbek Makhmudov in Sheffield next month.

The latest odds movements show just how big the task at hand currently is for Doncaster's finest. When the fight was announced, both fighters were initially considered even 1.90 shots to emerge with the victory, making the fight a genuine pick 'em. Now, however, Allen has drifted to 2.10 while Makhkudov is a clear 1.72 favorite. This swing opens the door for strategic bettors to capitalize on the situation using betting calculator tools.

By using the popular arbitrage calculator at Thunderpick, punters can calculate precise wagers for each fighter, ensuring a win regardless of the outcome. Whether you backed Allen early or are now leaning toward Makhmudov, the calculator helps you adjust to the new odds, hedge your bets, and lock in value. In a fight this unpredictable, smart betting could be your winning strategy.

And should Allen upset the odds and topple the Russian juggernaut, he’ll leapfrog into front-runner status for Joshua’s return fight early next year. The proud Yorkshireman brings British rivalry, a granite chin, and a fan-friendly style. He doesn’t possess the freakish one-punch power to threaten Joshua’s suspect chin, but he does embody the risk of being drawn into a war of attrition and possesses the potential to knock Joshua off balance in a raucous UK arena.

This match is laced with pragmatic opportunity. It buys AJ time to shed rust, offers him a manageable adversary, and delivers a crowd-pleaser on home soil. For Allen, it's a huge payday, as well as the chance to write his own chapter in the never-ending saga of the heavyweight division.

Deontay Wilder

Once upon a time, a potential Anthony Joshua vs Deontay Wilder clash was the biggest fight in boxing. Back in 2018, the two men held all the gold in the heavyweight division, and an undisputed fight was seemingly only a matter of time. In the end, however, it never happened, and both have since lost their titles and fallen down the pecking order. While Joshua's knockout at the hands of Dubois was brutal, the myth of invincibility is also gone for the Bronze Bomber, melted away by Joseph Parker and viciously by Zhilei Zhang.

In the ruins of once-unbeatable reputations, Wilder and Joshua now circle the same irresistible center—two fallen kings desperate for a shot at redemption, for one more night of feared brilliance. Promoter Eddie Hearn pointedly frames the American knockout artist as the logical option for late 2025 or early 2026. Why? Because no other dance partner guarantees as much theater, danger, and commercial magnetism. The UK and US pay-per-view machines would roar for it. Wilder’s right hand can still erase hope in a second, while Joshua’s glass jaw—harsh, but proven lately—may not be able to stand up to the power.

Victory for AJ would silence doubters and prove that he was always the better fighter, even though a potential fight came the better part of a decade too late. It would also reignite his market value, making a potential Fury clash not just plausible but inevitable. Defeat, especially another savage KO, ends an era and provides Wilder with one last hurrah after a turbulent twilight to his career.