After weeks of rumors and speculation, it’s confirmed that Anthony Joshua will return to fight in the United Kingdom this September. The official announcement for the full card is imminent, with ‘AJ’ set to headline Wembley Stadium for the first time since 2018.
Joshua’s recent form has shown significant improvement, having knocked out both Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou in his last two contests. This resurgence is attributed to his partnership with Ben Davison, former trainer of Tyson Fury. As a result, the two-time unified heavyweight world champion is now considered one of the top three contenders in the division and is well-positioned for a shot at becoming boxing’s fifth three-time titleholder in the glamour division.
There was anticipation that Oleksandr Usyk would be stripped of his IBF world title, allowing it to be contested in the upcoming bout between Filip Hrgovic and Daniel Dubois. The winner would then face Joshua later in the year. However, with the Hrgovic-Dubois fight approaching and no action from the IBF, it now seems the winner will instead fight Joshua for the vacant title in the headline bout. This blockbuster event is also rumored to feature pound-for-pound contender Naoya Inoue.
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In an interview with talkSPORT, Saudi catalyst Turki Al-Alshikh revealed the date for the launch press conference for the Wembley card. He invited Jim White and Simon Jordan to the ‘Matchroom versus Queensberry’ event in Riyadh and mentioned, “I want to see you when I come to London on the 25th of June for the big press conference to announce the Wembley card, and I want to see Simon [Jordan] also once he has come back [from America].”
Alternatively, if the IBF allows Usyk to retain his title for a rematch with Tyson Fury, Joshua’s bout with Hrgovic or Dubois might be rendered unnecessary. This scenario could lead Joshua to finally face long-term rival Deontay Wilder, provided Wilder wins his upcoming fight against Zhilei Zhang.