STWF Sports | Dec. 27, 2025 – Frank Warren has issued a direct challenge to Anthony Joshua, urging the former two-time heavyweight champion to put pen to paper and face either Fabio Wardley or Moses Itauma in 2026 if he truly intends to reassert himself at the top of the division.

Joshua returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion earlier this month, brushing aside YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul with a routine knockout in Miami. The bout served its purpose: restoring confidence, sharpening timing, and significantly boosting Joshua’s global profile after a year-long absence from the ring following his crushing defeat to Daniel Dubois in September 2024.

With the rust now shaken off, attention has shifted firmly to what comes next. A long-rumoured showdown with Tyson Fury remains the ultimate prize, with talks ongoing about staging a blockbuster clash in the summer of 2026. Before that, however, Joshua is expected to take another fight—one that could either maintain momentum or introduce significant risk.

Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has previously suggested that Joshua would be interested in challenging newly crowned WBO heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley, a fight that has quickly captured public attention. Warren, who promotes Wardley, has wasted little time in pushing the issue, insisting Joshua should stop delaying and sign immediately.

“If he really wants to fight, fight Moses [Itauma], fight Moses now. Fight Fabio Wardley now,” Warren said. “Do it tomorrow. Sign it tomorrow. If he says yes, I’ll go round his house. I’ll go round there right now. I’d have gone round there on Christmas Day. We’ll get the deal done.”

Warren’s message was unmistakable: Joshua does not need easing back in. At 36, with world titles already on his résumé, the Queensberry boss believes Joshua should embrace high-risk opportunities rather than search for comfort.

“You want to fight for the world title? Fight Fabio Wardley,” Warren continued. “In the meantime, if you’re not, you want to wait for Tyson, wait for Tyson. But people keep saying he needs tune-ups to get back into world title fights. No, he’s not a spring chicken. He’s been around. He’s a two-time world champion. Jump back in.”

Yet Warren also offered a telling caveat, hinting at the strategic tension surrounding Joshua’s future.

“What he doesn’t need to do is fight anyone who can punch, because there won’t be a fight with Tyson,” he said, underscoring the delicate balance between risk and reward.

Itauma unlikely, Wardley intriguing

While Warren floated Moses Itauma as an option, a bout between the teenage heavyweight sensation and Joshua appears improbable in the short term. Itauma already has a fight scheduled against Jermaine Franklin on January 24, as he continues his rapid development and builds experience against seasoned opposition.

The 19-year-old has made no secret of his ambition to challenge for world titles in 2026, but a clash with Joshua may be too much, too soon—for both parties. The pair also previously suggested they would not meet while sharing trainer Ben Davison, though that obstacle has since been removed following Joshua’s decision to align himself with Oleksandr Usyk’s camp.

Wardley, by contrast, presents a more realistic—and explosive—option. The Ipswich heavyweight has risen rapidly despite having no amateur background, carving out a reputation as a dangerous puncher with momentum firmly on his side. For Joshua, a fight with Wardley would offer an immediate route back into the title picture and a chance to become a three-time world champion.

However, the risks are obvious. Wardley represents the kind of hungry, powerful challenger who could derail Joshua’s plans entirely. A loss to the new WBO champion would almost certainly scupper any hope of salvaging a mega-fight with Fury, a bout that remains one of the most lucrative in British boxing history.

Calculated patience or bold statement?

Joshua now faces a defining choice. He can accept Warren’s challenge and take a high-stakes fight against Wardley, proving he remains among the elite. Or he can opt for a safer outing, preserving momentum while keeping the Fury showdown intact.

After years of rebuilds, resets, and near-misses, the coming months may determine whether Joshua’s next chapter is one of redemption—or restraint.