Anthony Joshua has been dropped from the IBF heavyweight rankings, while Nigeria’s Efe Ajagba and rising star Moses Itauma have both moved up the ladder.
The former two-time world champion has not fought since suffering a fifth-round knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois at Wembley last September. He turned down an immediate rematch to undergo elbow surgery, during which time Dubois lost the IBF title to Oleksandr Usyk.
Joshua was previously ranked sixth but has now been removed from the list entirely. Meanwhile, Usyk remains champion, with Derek Chisora and Ajagba holding second and third spots. Itauma climbed to fifth after stopping Dillian Whyte last month, while Dubois dropped to seventh.
Although Joshua had been mentioned in talks for a showdown with YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul early next year, Paul has since lined up an exhibition against Gervonta Davis in November, leaving Joshua without a confirmed opponent. His promoter Eddie Hearn said the 35-year-old is not expected to return before early 2026.
“I don’t think there’s any value in us saying it will be in December,” Hearn explained. “He’s been travelling but is back in training after elbow surgery. These big fights take time, and every AJ event is massive.”
Talks are ongoing for a possible comeback fight in Ghana, which Hearn said could happen in January or February. “There has been an offer to do a fight there and I think it would be incredible for AJ to fight in Africa,” he noted.
On the Jake Paul speculation, Hearn admitted it hinges on the American’s clash with Davis. “They want to do the AJ fight after Gervonta,” he said. “I told them if Jake Paul gets knocked out, we can’t fight you. We’ll have to wait and see.”
Despite the uncertainty, Hearn stressed that Joshua’s focus remains on one last defining fight. “Any bout he takes next will likely be a tune-up ahead of that big roll-the-dice fight. Ideally, that’s Tyson Fury. If not, it will be against another top-five heavyweight,” Hearn added.
