Anthony Joshua close to agreeing his next fight as negotiations are 'nearly finished'

Joshua has revealed on social media that he is close to finalising the details for his fifth outing since losing to Oleksandr Usyk for the second time in 2022, with Wembley on September 21 as the probable date and venue.

“Nearly finished my negotiations for my next fight! Feeling motivated,” the 34-year-old said on Twitter.

Dubois is the likely adversary after he stopped Filip Hrgovic in Riyadh in the eighth round of their clash for the IBF interim title on June 2, a win that elevates him to a mandatory challenge for the full belt.

And the IBF title could be at stake against Joshua if, as expected, it is stripped from Usyk for failing to face Dubois in favour of a rematch with Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia on December 21.

Usyk was crowned undisputed world heavyweight champion when he outpointed Fury in their first meeting last month, adding the Gypsy King’s WBC belt to the IBF, WBA and WBO titles he won from Joshua.

Deontay Wilder had been viewed as a natural opponent for Joshua but his fifth-round knockout by Zhilei Zhang earlier this month signalled the end of his time as a contender in the division.