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Anthony Joshua dealt major blow to world title hopes ahead of ring return
Anthony Joshua has dropped out of the IBF’s latest heavyweight rankings in a fresh blow to his hopes of becoming a three-time world champion.
Joshua has not fought in almost a year after being brutally knocked out by Daniel Dubois at Wembley last September, and he is not expected to return to the ring until 2026.
Joshua has now paid the price for his lengthy period of inactivity, with the IBF no longer placing him on their list of top 15 contenders.
The 35-year-old had previously occupied fifth spot, but has now been replaced by rising star Moses Itauma after his dominant win over Dillian Whyte last month.
Fellow Brit Derek Chisora is also in the top five, while top spot in the rankings remains vacant, with no immediate challenger in place to face undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk.
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Joshua first won the IBF title back in 2016 when he knocked out Charles Martin inside two rounds at the O2 Arena.(Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)
He later added the WBA and WBO trinkets to his collection by beating Wladimir Klitschko and Joseph Parker, respectively, before suffering a shock loss to Andy Ruiz Jr.
Joshua recaptured his belts in the rematch but has not been a world champion since relinquishing his titles to Usyk in 2021.
The Watford heavyweight underwent elbow surgery earlier this year and had been planning to make his comeback before the end of 2025.
He held talks over a potential crossover bout with Jake Paul but the YouTuber-turned-boxer will now face Gervonta Davis in an exhibition bout in November instead.
Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, recently revealed his fighter is now targeting a return in early 2026 and admitted it will be against a “carefully” chosen opponent.
He also claimed Joshua has been offered his dream fight in Africa, with Ghana emerging as a potential location.
Hearn outlined how Joshua is planning to “roll the dice” for the final time in a big fight next summer, ideally against Tyson Fury, if he comes through his tune-up bout.
But Joshua’s chances of winning a world title again have taken a hit, with the popular Brit dropping further down the heavyweight pecking order amid his continued absence from the ring.
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