Eddie Hearn reveals who Anthony Joshua will fight next – as he insists the two-time heavyweight champion is in a ‘really good position’ despite KO loss to Daniel Dubois

Eddie Hearn has insisted Anthony Joshua is ready for another marquee fight despite coming off a devastating KO loss to Daniel Dubois.

After racking up four consecutive victories, Joshua entered the clash with Dubois last month as an overwhelming betting favourite.

The fight represented an opportunity for the 35-year-old to join an elite group of fighters to have held the heavyweight title on three separate occasions, and was staged in front of a reported record crowd of 96,000 fans at Wembley.

Ultimately though, in the fifth round Joshua was stopped for just the second time in his professional career, with Dubois dropping him several times before securing the KO to become the IBF champion.

However, despite the defeat, Hearn insisted AJ is ready to return for another clash against Dubois, or a long-awaited fight with Tyson Fury.

Joshua suffered the fourth loss of his career when he was knocked out by Daniel Dubois last month

But Hearn insisted his fighter has no interest in a warm-up fight as he looks towards a return

‘It’s weird saying it after a knockout defeat but AJ is actually in a really good position,’ Hearn told BBC Sport.

‘We’re going to fight Dubois or Fury next. That’s it. No other interest or warm-up.’

Reports following the fight suggested Joshua would activate his rematch clause, with a potential date of February in Saudi Arabia.

While Queensberry boss Frank Warren has claimed that Dubois will likely make the first defence of his belt on that date regardless of opponent Hearn admitted ‘timing’ could prove to be an issue in making the rematch.

He added:  ‘AJ desperately wants revenge but the only issue is timing.’

‘For the rematch to happen in February, training camp will have to start in a couple of weeks. There are always niggles and he had a few so physically it’s just a case of whether AJ is ready to do that.’

A clash between AJ and Fury could also be on the cards, depending on the outcome The Gypsy King’s rematch with Oleksandr Usyk in December.

Hearn appeared to indicate that he would favour a fight with Fury for Joshua, if Fury can avenge his first career defeat against the Ukrainian in their rematch. 

The Matchroom head added Joshua’s next opponent could be contingent on the rematch between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk

Should Fury emerge victorious, Hearn indicated that a long-awaited clash between the Gypsy King and AJ would be targeted for May of next year

‘It would be frustrating if we made the Dubois rematch and Fury won,’ Hearn said.

‘Then we’re sitting there going “hang on a minute, we’re fighting Dubois but we could have fought Fury in May for the biggest fight in boxing.”

‘Win or lose, we can fight Fury next summer. But if he wins, AJ fights him for the world title.’