Anthony Joshua’s Comeback Leads to Fury Fight Booking
After Daniel Dubois stopped Anthony Joshua in 2024, Joshua returned with two heavyweight knockouts and is scheduled to face Tyson Fury in December 2026.
Dubois’ Wembley Breakthrough
Dubois entered the bout as IBF heavyweight champion and kept the belt with a fifth-round knockout, recorded at 59 seconds. Joshua had moments of success, but Dubois’ pressure and power repeatedly disrupted his rhythm. A crowd of roughly 96,000 watched at Wembley, making it one of British boxing’s landmark stadium events. Reuters’ fight report captured the scale of the upset and the abrupt end to Joshua’s title challenge.
A Long Route Back
Joshua was 34 at the time and had lost for the fourth time as a professional. He had already been an Olympic gold medalist and a two-time unified world heavyweight champion, but a third reign was no longer an immediate possibility.
Instead, Joshua returned in December 2025 against Jake Paul in Miami. He scored a sixth-round knockout in a sanctioned heavyweight bout, moving his record to 29–4. The result restored momentum, though it did not by itself answer how he would fare against a leading contender after the Dubois defeat. Netflix’s official results recap lists the sixth-round finish.
The Prenga Test
Joshua’s next appearance, against Kristian Prenga in Jeddah on July 25, 2026, offered a more complicated comeback story. Prenga dropped him twice in the opening round, but Joshua recovered and knocked out the Albanian in round two. The win showed both the danger Joshua faced and his ability to respond under pressure. It improved his professional record to 30–4, according to Reuters’ report from Jeddah.
Fury Is Next on the Schedule
As of October 29, 2026, Joshua is scheduled to meet former world champion Tyson Fury on Dec. 11 at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium. The long-discussed all-British matchup gives Joshua an immediate high-profile opportunity, but a scheduled fight is not a result: the contest still lies ahead. The stadium’s event announcement confirms the date and venue.
The Dubois defeat remains a defining loss in Joshua’s story, but it was not the ending. His comeback has included a knockout of Paul, a rocky recovery against Prenga, and now a major fight on the calendar. Whether that run carries him back to a world title will depend on what happens in the ring next.
Sources
Tags: Wrestling, Olympic Wrestling
