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Anthony Joshua’s return could snap interesting 10-year stat as promoter hints at new fight date

Anthony Joshua’s return to boxing has seen another twist in this seemingly never-ending tale.

Gearing up for his comeback to the ring for the first time since his stunning knockout loss to Daniel Dubois over a year ago, former two-time heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua has yet to land an opponent for the clash.

And linked most recently to a showdown with Russian giant Arslanbek Makhmudov off the back of his win over Dave Allen, Joshua seemed set for a 2026 return to action.

Anthony Joshua attends a pre-fight press conference ahead of his fight with Daniel Dubois in September, 2024.

READ: Anthony Joshua’s Next Opponent ‘Confirmed’ And it’s Not Tyson Fury

However, in a new update, the Watford native may be returning sooner than expected, in a setting which would snap his lengthy spree.

Anthony Joshua may compete before 2026

In a new update from Matchroom Boxing leader Eddie Hearn, the Dagenham promoter revealed Joshua could feature as soon as the last months of 2025.

And to boot, according to the veteran boxing matchmaker, Joshua would be placed on the undercard of a potential end-of-year show.

If that were the case, Joshua would be fighting in a clash outside of a main event for the first time in 10 years, when he improved to 13-0 with a knockout of Kevin Johnson on the undercard of Kell Brook’s showdown with Frankie Gavin.

“All I’m saying is, if he (Anthony Joshua) fights this year, it will just be a ‘run out’ fight,” Hearn told IFL TV. “Because, coming back and fighting in a big arena, in a tough fight after being out for a year and a half, it’s not easy.

“And it ain’t about the money [in] this fight this year,” Hearn explained. “…It’s 50/50 if he fights this year, but if he will (sic), he’ll be added to a card. He won’t be headlining.”

Anthony Joshua picked to knock out ‘dangerous’ star.

Having shared the ring with the above-mentioned 6ft 5in Makhmudov, veteran British star Allen has weighed in a potential fight between the Russian and his compatriot.

And having trained with the Olympic gold medalist in the past, Allen raved over the power of Makhmudov.

But as far as he’s concerned, Joshua holds the tools to likely finish Makhmudov — early, in fact.

I think I’d pick (Anthony) Joshua to beat him (Arslanbek Makhmudov). I think Joshua will flatten him in a couple rounds. But he’s a dangerous guy though, so it’d be a good fight while it lasted,” Allen told Boxing King Media.

Rory McIlroy has been amazing this season and has once again shown the consistency that was expected of him.

After years of criticism and intense pressure for not winning the Masters, Rory McIlroy finally broke his negative streak at the prestigious tournament this year.

The Northern Irish golfer lifted the “curse” and managed to win the Masters with an impressive performance at Augusta National. Such a victory certainly lifted a huge burden from his shoulders and paved the way for new victories and successes.

Tiger Woods and Vanessa Trump's Relationship: Everything We Know

READ: Tiger Woods’ Return to Play with Son Charlie Unknown After Surge

Probably the brightest moment after winning the Masters was winning the Ryder Cup on US soil, a feat that Rory considers the most demanding in golf.

How great and superior he is was demonstrated by the words of Tiger Woods.

Namely, US President Donald Trump, known as an avid golf fan, revealed in one of his podcasts what Tiger Woods told him about Rory McIlroy.

Tiger is known as one of the greatest in the sport, but the 49-year-old seems to be equally impressed with Rory McIlroy’s game.

“Rory’s got a great swing. Tiger told me that Rory is the best driver that he’d seen. And for Tiger to say that, that’s amazing, right, because Tiger is great at everything. But he said Rory’s the greatest driver he’s seen,” he said.

What can we expect?

Such words certainly mean a lot to the seasoned golfer, who has just as strong an ambition this year as he does next. He now faces a serious race on the DP World Tour, where he is aiming to win his seventh the Race to Dubai title.

The future of golf seems interesting, and most expect that the Northern Irish golfer will continue to be a dominant figure in the coming years, especially at the Majors. His experience and qualities could be crucial, especially now that he has managed to complete a career Grand Slam.

Globally, the future of golf will be interesting, with the hope that we will see equally exciting matches.

Billionaire Alexis Ohanian took a thinly-veiled swipe at ESPN pundit Stephen A. Smith following his suggestion that Ohanian should consider divorcing his wife, Serena Williams, after her Super Bowl Halftime Show appearance.

The tennis icon caused quite the stir on social media when she joined Kendrick Lamar onstage during his performance at Super Bowl LIX in February.

She began crip walking to the diss track “Not Like Us”, which is about Drake, with whom she previously had a romantic relationship. Following the controversial Halftime Show, Smith criticised Williams for “trolling” her ex and hinted that he would divorce the tennis icon if they were married. However, several months later, it appears that Ohanian has had the last laugh.

Serena Williams Alexis Ohanian

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During an appearance on ‘First Take’ this week, Ohanian advised Smith to stick to what he knows best.

“You hadn’t been married before, right? Cause I give advice to plenty of founders who want to build billion-dollar companies. And the reason I do that is because I build billion-dollar companies,” the Reddit founder retorted.

“So I generally try to stay in my lane in the advice department.”

In February, Smith questioned Williams’ decision to participate in a Drake diss track despite being married to Ohanian since 2017.

“You could say give her props,” he commented. “If I’m your husband, why are you up there trolling your ex?

“If I’m married and my wife is going to join trolling her ex, go back to his a**, because clearly you don’t belong with me. What you worried about him for and you’re with me? Bye bye.”

His fellow analyst Ryan Clark quickly jumped to Williams’ defence, stating: “If you’re with Serena Williams you’re going to be a kept man anyway.”

Smith’s comments sparked a wave of online backlash, leading him to somewhat retract his statements. “Please go back and look at exactly what I said. I was talking overall from a man’s perspective – highlighting what most men would think,” he posted.

“I didn’t utter a single disrespectful word about Serena. No issues with folks getting upset of literal serious stuff one’s p***** about. This doesn’t qualify peeps. Come on. We were joking around on @FirstTake. Damn y’all! It’s not that serious.”

As to why Smith remains unmarried, the 57-year-old attributes his single status to his demanding work schedule. “I know that it’s hard, I know that it’s worn on some people as well,” he admitted.

“It is the reason why I’ve never been married, because I was on the road 200 days out of the year and the fact of the matter is at that time it was no way in hell I was going to be faithful.

“I knew that, so why the hell am I going to sit up there and violate my marital vows knowing ahead of time I ain’t going to honour them?”.

Coco Gauff, the world No. 3, won the WTA 1000 event in Wuhan. This is her tenth career title, nine of which were won on hard courts, allowing her to match Serena Williams’ record for hard-court titles.

On her path to the title she defeated three players outside the top 50: world No. 91 Miyu Uchijima, No. 142 Shuai Zhang, and No. 57 Laura Siegemund.

In the semifinal she faced the world No. 8 Jasmine Paolini and also defeated her in straight sets.

Coco Gauff Triumphs at WTA 1000 Wuhan, Matches Serena Williams' Hardcourt Record

READ: Serena Williams makes deeply honest confession about her early-career insecurities

Significance of the victory and records

In the final, Gauff faced Jessica Pegula and became champion, winning in two sets – 6-4, 7-5.

The match lasted 1 hour 44 minutes. Gauff recorded four aces, while Pegula failed to convert on break points. Gauff registered eight double faults, compared with two by her opponent.

This victory marked Gauff’s tenth career title and her third at WTA 1000 events. She matched Serena Williams’ achievement for titles on hard courts and became one of the few to win both Chinese WTA 1000 events – Beijing and Wuhan.

Gauff also set the age record as the youngest finalist at WTA 1000 events in Beijing and Wuhan; she is currently 21 years and 207 days old. She also qualified for the year-end WTA Finals to be held in Riyadh in early November.

“I want to thank my team – these have been wonderful Asian swings. I’m going to call JC [Jean-Christophe Faurel, Gauff’s coach]. At first, he didn’t want me to come to this tournament because I had a tough US Open. But I had to prove that he was wrong. I’m a very stubborn person. So maybe he said this on purpose so that I could achieve a good result here”,

– Coco Gauff

This moment is a testament to Gauff’s brilliant career and inspires American tennis to finish the season strongly.

Anthony Joshua’s next opponent has been ‘confirmed’ and a ‘deal’ is supposedly in place for a big fight next year.

Joshua hasn’t fought since his crushing knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium last year.

But a comeback is in the works, having undergone surgery on his elbow in May to correct an injury that had sidelined him from training.

Anthony Joshua Tyson Fury

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A bout in Africa has been mooted, with Nigeria and Ghana rumoured as countries to host a mega event, ahead of a potential all-British battle against Tyson Fury, who is expected to return to action next year.

A proposed clash against Fury would likely take place in the summer, paving the way for a tune-up at the start of 2026.

Several names have been linked with a fight against Joshua, including Martin Bakole and Tony Yoka.

But, according to Arslanbek Makhmudov, he has a ‘deal’ in place to fight Joshua next year, having beaten Dave Allen on Saturday.

Makhmudov beat Allen by unanimous decision in Sheffield to seemingly punch his ticket for a meeting against ‘AJ’.

Speaking after his hard-fought win, where he had two points deducted for holding, the towering Russian contender confirmed a fight with Joshua following talks on social media.

“I already have a deal with him,” he told Boxing News. “We spoke with him in Instagram. He said, ‘Okay go fight with Dave Allen and [we] fight next year’. He confirmed. Now it’s his turn.”

Makhmudov has won 21 of his 23 professional matches and is on a two-fight winning streak following his defeat to Guido Vianello last year.

What has Eddie Hearn said about Anthony Joshua?

Hearn has remained tight-lipped on who Joshua will return against, but he insists his client is hellbent on facing Fury.

A fight between Fury and Joshua could break all records in the UK given the profile of each men and their long-standing rivalry.

“It’s exactly what everybody wanted to hear,” Hearn said of Fury’s expected return to the ring. “The thing that AJ wants more than anything, is to fight Tyson Fury.

“That is the biggest fight in the sport… I’m hopeful.”

He added: “The only thing that is close to that level [for Joshua] is to win the world heavyweight championship again, which is a big motivation for him.”

Like Joshua, Fury also hasn’t fought this year. The ‘Gypsy King’ suffered a points defeat to Oleksandr Usyk last year.

Jake Paul makes controversial move for Gervonta Davis fight and proves fans right in a bad way

At one point, the idea of a real, high-level boxer stepping into the ring with Jake Paul seemed like a laughingstock. Up until the end of summer, that was still the case. But Gervonta Davis has decided to take the plunge, prioritizing money over legacy for an exhibition bout against Paul on November 15 in Miami, Florida.

Many fans believe “Tank” will take a dive in the fight, or not even truly try to hit Paul. There have been plenty of conspiracy theories regarding Paul’s fights, with his last one against Mike Tyson turning into a joke in many fans’ eyes. As things stand, there is no fishy business regarding the fight. Whether Davis goes all-out on fight night remains to be seen. If the bout ends up going to the judges’ scorecards, that’s where the controversy might begin.

Jake Paul Gervonta Davis

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AI judge to be one of three official scorers for Jake Paul vs. Gervonta Davis fight

Reports emerged on Friday that the Paul-Davis fight will feature an AI (artificial intelligence) judge as one of the three judges who will determine the outcome of the bout if it comes down to a decision. While an AI judge has been featured on boxing broadcasts, it’s unprecedented for one to make an official scorecard. Thankfully, it’s an exhibition anyway.

That could certainly lead to a controversial moment if fans believe a specific boxer dominated the fight, and the final verdict comes down to AI. Given that Paul has tons of doubters as is, this likely won’t sit well with any of them.

The Paul-Davis fight is just over a month away and will feature legitimate, high-profile professional fights on the undercard. Alycia Baumgardner, Ellie Scotney, Gary Antuanne Russell and other stars will feature.

Mike Tyson has warned Floyd Mayweather yet again about their upcoming fight in 2026. ‘Iron’ Mike, now 59, is coming back to take on Mayweather in 2026 in an exhibition bout.

It’s a clash of two legends. Tyson is arguably the biggest name in the history of boxing while 50-0-0 Mayweather is the sport’s most profitable superstar to date. And there’s no doubt fans will tune in when two greats of their respective eras share the ring next year.

Tyson lost to Jake Paul via unanimous decision in November 2024. At 58, Tyson looked like a man of his age, but he’s made a promise about the Mayweather fight that might sound like a warning music to the latter’s ears.

Mike Tyson Floyd Mayweather

READ: Floyd Mayweather Reportedly Tried to Shoot His Shot With 19-Year

Mike Tyson speaks out on Floyd Mayweather bout

Tyson has promised he’d be better than his last bout against ‘The Problem Child’. Speaking to People, he said, “It’s going to be really interesting. I can’t believe, since the last time I did this, I’ve fought… What? Two times, going on three times…I’ll do better in the next one.”

While Tyson is now 59, he is a special type of human being. And if he promises to improve, any opponent, even if that’s Mayweather, needs to take note. Tyson is also looking to live in the moment for the upcoming fight. He said:

“This moment’s going to be over. Just enjoy it, it doesn’t last forever.”

– Mike Tyson

Tyson retired from professional boxing in 2005. He returned inside the ring in 2020 to take on Roy Jones Jr in an exhibition. In 2024, his bout against Paul was under professional settings. The Mayweather clash, though, will be an exhibition.

As for ‘Money’ Mayweather, his last professional outing was in 2017, a 10th round TKO win against UFC icon Conor McGregor. Mayweather has since appeared in exhibition bouts, taking on Tenshin Nasukawa, Logan Paul, Deji, and more.

Tyson ruled the heavyweight division during his career while Mayweather is the king of lighter weight classes. Neither is in their prime, meaning fans can expect a showcase of their skills in this spectacle instead of an actual fight. With two legends like them involved, it can be expected to be a show stopping event regardless of all the aforementioned factors.

Phil Mickelson sends message to Tiger Woods after latest injury update

Phil Mickelson has sent fellow golf legend Tiger Woods a heartfelt message following the 15-time major winner’s latest injury setback. Woods, 49, has been sidelined since undergoing an Achilles surgery earlier this year that ruled him out until next year.

Tiger has suffered several other injury setbacks since recovering from a near-fatal car crash in February 2021. Golf fans will likely have to wait longer to see Woods back on the green after having disc replacement surgery, a seventh back surgery in a decade, further delaying a return to the PGA Tour.

Phil Mickelson Tiger Woods

JUST IN: Tiger Woods’ Return to Play with Son Charlie Unknown After Surge

“After experiencing pain and lack of mobility in my back, I consulted with doctors and surgeons to have tests taken,” Woods said in a statement. “I opted to have my disc replaced yesterday, and I already know I made a good decision for my health and my back.”

Mickelson, who was one of the highest-profile names to ditch the PGA Tour for the lucrative LIV Golf a few years ago and competed with and against Woods for championships, has sent his former rival a heartfelt message following the latest news. “I’m sorry to hear this, and I wish him the best for a speedy recovery,” Mickelson said on social media platform X.

It’s unclear at this point how deeply the latest surgery could impact Woods’s hopes of returning to competitive golf. His competitive performances have fallen far from their peak.

Last year, he competed in just five events, one of them the Genesis Invitational and the other four majors. He withdrew from the Genesis, finished dead last in the Masters, and missed the cut in the final three majors.

Before surgery in March, Woods had not long lost his mother. “This is the third time I’ve touched a club since my mom passed, so I haven’t really gotten into it,” Woods said. “My heart is not really into practicing right now. I’ve had so many other things to do with the TOUR and trying to do other things. Once I start probably feeling a little bit better and start getting into it, I’ll start looking at the schedule.”

Woods is also the face of TGL alongside 2025 Masters winner Rory McIlroy, which earned rave reviews following its first season. TGL is a high-tech, 9-hole team league designed for prime-time TV. Backed by NBC Sports, it blends fast-paced action, advanced shot-tracking, and fan-friendly production to bring a fresh, modern twist to the game.

“I think … we were able to showcase the game in a different light,” Woods said. “Everyone in today’s day and age, their attention span is not very long. So I think that what we were able to do with the shot clock and the time and the pace of play, I think that is great for the game and it’s great for the younger demographic.

“I think that we have so many different opportunities going forward with how this all turned out that the opportunities are endless. That’s what’s really neat. We can grow this bigger and better, and so many different options.…

“I’ve watched every match that I wasn’t playing in, and … these are the guys that I know. These are the personalities that I’ve seen on TOUR. But I think the fans are going to be able to see them in a different way.”

Tiger Woods’ Return to Play with Son Charlie Unknown After Surgery for Injuries

It remains to be seen whether Tiger Woods will be able to take the course for the Hero World Championship or the PNC Championship with his son, Charlie, after he announced on Saturday that he underwent back surgery on Friday.

“The scans determined that I had a collapsed disc in L4/5, disc fragments and a compromised spinal canal,” Woods said in a social media post. “I opted to have my disc replaced yesterday, and I already know I made a good decisions for my health and my back.”

READ: How Phil Mickelsons $9 million gamble on Tiger Woods backfired s

Doug Ferguson of the Associated Press reported it was the golfing legend’s seventh back surgery overall and second surgery of the year after he underwent surgery in March for a ruptured left Achilles tendon.

Woods, 49, hasn’t played professionally since the PNC Championship last year, and this year’s Hero World Championship and PNC Championship are both in December. That would be a quick turnaround after yet another back surgery, the first of which came in 2014.

He also underwent a lower-back fusion in 2017 and has played just 15 times in the last four years following a serious car crash in February 2021 that “shattered his right leg and ankle,” per Ferguson.

Four of those 15 events in the last four years came at the PNC Championship, where he is permitted to use a cart for the 36-hole tournament.

Woods is arguably the greatest golfer in the sport’s history with 15 major titles and 82 career PGA Tour wins. Only Jack Nicklaus (18) has won more majors, and Woods captured the attention of the entire sports world during his peak.

Injuries have largely prevented him from adding to his incredible resume of late, although his triumph at the 2019 Masters after his back fusion was one of the most memorable moments of his career.

Woods did not provide any specific details about a recovery timeline with his latest surgery announcement, although the procedure was considered a success.

We would not have predicted it would be world No 204 Valentin Vacherot who would give Novak Djokovic the reality check he was waiting for as he ponders the end of his tennis story.

Vacherot incredible win against Djokovic at the Shanghai Masters continued a truly remarkable week for the Monégasque player, as he is set to climb around 150 places in the ATP Rankings and secure more prize money this week than he had managed in his entire career up to this point.

The Vacherot story in Shanghai is one of the most remarkable of the 2025 season, as he has come through qualifying to reach the final of the ATP 1000 event in a week that will change the course of his career.

Novak Djokovic exhales

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Yet for Djokovic, this chastening defeat confirmed what has been evident for some time.

The heart and mind of this great champion are still willing to compete at the top, but his body is no longer allowing him to get through a tournament, with his 6-3, 6-4 defeat against Vacherot the latest nail in his ambitions.

With Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner out of Shanghai with injury issues, this felt like the week when Djokovic would win what may be a final ATP 1000 event of his remarkable career.

Yet the depleted and broken version of Djokovic who was unable to stay with a player ranked outside the top 200 in the world, should give him the reality check that he needed when he ponders what comes next.

Djokovic said after his US Open defeat against Alcaraz that he may no longer have the physical capacity to compete over five sets against young players who are at a different end of their careers.

The 38-year-old also suggested the best-of-three-set format may be his best hope of adding a few more trophy wins to his record, but even the shorter format appears to be beyond him now.

He was struggling from the off against Vacherot and while the underdog did well to hold his nerve and secure the biggest win of his career, the Djokovic he beat was a shadow of the legend who has dominated the sport for the last two decades.

Djokovic showed fight against Vacherot, but the tank was empty long before his serve was broken for a final time in the second set.

The Serbian will now head to Saudi Arabia to play in the Six Kings Slam, where he will collect $1.5m even if he needs to limp through a match in the exhibition event.

Then it will be decision time for Djokovic.

He will have a few weeks to ponder whether he will put in the preparation time required to play at the Australian Open in January.

The 25th Grand Slam title he is chasing is a dream that now looks set to be beyond him because if his failing body won’t allow him to compete over an extended ATP 1000 event played over three sets, the notion that he could get through seven rounds played over five sets to win seems impossible.

The game is up for Novak Djokovic, so don’t be surprised if a retirement announcement arrives before the end of the year.