What next for Anthony Joshua & Jake Paul? Tyson Fury talk intensifies as AJ returns with sixth round KO victory

The boxing eternity demanded an Anthony Joshua knockout in Miami... and the Briton eventually delivered it.

Yes, he would have loved to have put the bout to bed far earlier than he managed to overnight, but truth be told, even two fighters would probably have struggled to pin down Paul during the first two or three rounds.

There was absolutely no intent to engage, to such an extent that a chorus of boos echoed around the venue midway through the opening round.

Joshua stalked his prey, but each time he launched a shot, Paul either ran for his life or dropped down to his knees.

Credit to him though, he did take some pretty hefty shots, four of which sent him packing to the canvas, and managed to beat the ten count on three of those occasions.

Ultimately though, there was no way he was escaping his destiny midway through the sixth when AJ let rip a thunderous right which appeared to have broken the jaw of the Ohio native.

Joshua himself acknowledged that there were a few cobwebs which he needed to dust off, but vowed to polish himself up in time for his first fight of 2026.

The big question now though, is who that will be against?

What next for Anthony Joshua?

Well, Turki Alalshikh has already confirmed that Joshua will be fighting in the Middle East in the first quarter of the new year, before a far more high-profile affair later in the year.

AJ was clear in his post-fight interview as to who exactly he wants to be stood opposite him the next time he fights... Tyson Fury.

Of course, we have all been here before.

That fight has been mooted for the best part of a decade and despite seemingly being on the verge of finally witnessing the domestic heavyweight rivals trading leather on at least a couple of occasions, still the fight hasn't materialised.

There appears to be a real growing belief that this time around things are different.

The financial pulling power of His Excellency is rumoured to have pricked Fury's ears sufficiently for him to end his boxing hiatus, whilst AJ's triumphant return to action will have whet his appetite for more.

Time is of the essence however - both men are into the latter stages of their careers and it truly seems that it really is now or never for the pair to get it on.

The Gypsy King would likely request a tune-up fight beforehand, and so to could Joshua, having admitted that he wasn't quite as sharp as he would have liked to ha have been on the back of his own 15-month in-ring absence.

But, a late spring, early summer date now appears close to fruition.

What next for Jake Paul?

A trip to the hospital to get that broken jaw fixed!

But, of course, after that, and what would be a deserved break, the American will be back for more.

Now, plenty of fight fans will have seen enough tonight to suggest that the former social media star is nowhere near challenging for world titles at this stage of his career.

However, despite that, Paul was adamant that he still harbours ambitions of capturing coveted championship gold - signalling his intent to challenge for honours at cruiserweight.

The 200lbs division is undoubtedly a more natural fit for Paul given his size and stature, but he still has one big problem between turning his dream into a reality.

That being, with no disrespect intended, he simply isn't good enough.

WBA and WBO title-holder Gilberto Ramirez would make mincemeat of him, there's no doubt about that whatsoever. As would IBF and The Ring titlist Jai Opetaia.

Noel Mikaelian holds the WBC belt, with Michael Cieslak the current 'interim' champion, and even he is levels above Paul.

That said, money talks in this sport, and for as far-fetched as it would be to see the former Disney actor square-off against either of those three men with the carrot of world championship gold the reward for what would be a miraculous victory, you just can't rule it out.

For now, don't expect to see the brash and confident American back inside the ring any time soon as he faces the prospect of jaw surgery.

But when he does opt to stage a return, don't write off the possibility of it being against a bona-fide cruiserweight champion.