Anthony Joshua’s next opponent after the Jake Paul fight is shaping up to be one of the most important decisions of his career. Several heavyweight names are already being discussed, but a few stand out based on history, timing, money, and narrative potential. Here’s a deeper look at the strongest candidates and why each one makes sense as Joshua’s next opponent after Jake Paul.
Anthony Joshua Next Opponent Odds (After Jake Paul)
- Deontay Wilder +250
- Tyson Fury +400
- Daniel Dubois +500
- Dillian Whyte +600
- Fabio Wardley +700
- Joseph Parker +900
- Oleksandr Usyk +1200
- Moses Itauma +1600
- Dereck Chisora +2000
- Retirement +800
Deontay Wilder Favorite to Fight AJ After Jake Paul
Wilder is the most realistic next opponent for Joshua after the Jake Paul event because both sides have already circled each other publicly for years, and the timing finally lines up. Wilder recently returned to boxing with a confidence-building win and made it clear he wants one more major fight in 2026.
Joshua’s team has echoed the same interest, and Saudi Arabia has already tried multiple times to make this matchup happen. When both fighters and the financial backers want the same fight, it tends to get made.
Even with both men past their absolute peak, Wilder remains the most dangerous puncher Joshua can face, and the matchup still answers a long-standing question: which former champion has more left?
For AJ, it’s a chance to score a statement win over a fighter whose power has intimidated the entire division for a decade. For Wilder, it’s the final opportunity to beat a marquee heavyweight on the biggest stage available.
The only concern is where Joshua sits physically and mentally after the Paul fight. If he struggles or takes damage, his team may hesitate before jumping into a heavyweight with Wilder’s knockout threat. But if Joshua looks sharp, this becomes the cleanest, highest-upside fight on the board, and the one Saudi investors would push hardest to secure.
Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua After Jake Paul Fight?
@fighttalk5 Tyson Fury Predicts Jake Paul to KO AJ #boxing🥊 #anthonyjoshua #tysonfury #jakepaul
Fury remains the highest-profile option for Joshua after Jake Paul, even with the retirement talk and the Usyk trilogy hovering in the background. The truth is that Fury has walked away from retirement claims before, and the only fight that truly rivals the Usyk rivalry in terms of fan interest is Joshua.
This is the bout the UK has wanted for nearly a decade. It still carries historic weight: two British heavyweights who defined an era but never shared a ring.
From Joshua’s perspective, beating Fury, at any stage of Fury’s career, would instantly rewrite the second half of his résumé. It changes how he’s remembered and puts him back into the conversation with the heavyweight greats of his era.
For Fury, the commercial upside is massive. Even if he insists he’s done, the money and scale of AJ vs Fury remain difficult to ignore.
Fury has even gone so far as to say he will bet a million on Jake Paul because he thinks Joshua is trash. Could that be mind games ahead of what would be the biggest British clash since Bruno vs. Lewis?
Oleksandr Usyk an Outside Possibility to Face Joshua After Jake Paul Bout
An Usyk trilogy sits at long odds, but it’s not completely off the table. Usyk now holds two wins over Joshua, one a clear decision, one a dominant performance that cemented his era as heavyweight champion. A third fight would only make sense if Joshua looks rejuvenated after the Paul bout and secures one strong heavyweight win afterward.
Usyk himself remains focused on bigger legacy fights, primarily another showdown with Tyson Fury or possibly new challenges outside the usual heavyweight rotation. He has little competitive incentive to revisit a matchup he already leads 2–0. However, the financial pull of Saudi-backed events can bend plans, and Usyk has never been shy about taking the biggest available challenges if the offer is compelling.
For Joshua, an Usyk trilogy would be framed as a final attempt to solve a style that has beaten him twice. It’s hard, high-risk, and likely not the immediate next step, but if AJ shows new life and Saudi wants to complete the trilogy cycle, the fight stays in the conversation.
Other Potential AJ Opponents After Jake Paul
Two other realistic options sit just behind the top names. Dubois offers the most dangerous but meaningful path: he’s younger, powerful, and already owns a knockout win over Joshua, which makes a rematch both marketable and high-risk. If AJ looks strong after the Paul fight and wants to prove he can still beat the new generation of British heavyweights, Dubois becomes a major candidate.
Whyte sits at the opposite end of the spectrum. He’s a known rival with mainstream recognition and far less threat than before. If Joshua needs a softer reset or a controllable domestic headliner, Whyte becomes the plug-in option, easy to promote, familiar to fans, and far less hazardous than the top-tier names.
Retirement at +800 is another interesting option. Will Jake Paul be AJ’s final big payday before he cruises off into the sunset? With an implied probability of 11.1%, it certainly isn’t out of the question.
