After undergoing surgery for an elbow injury, Joshua is now preparing for his return to the ring with a 10-man shortlist drawn up for a comeback next year.

The last time Joshua was in the ring was the brutal knockout loss to then-IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois who humiliated AJ at a sold out Wembley Stadium last September.

Since that defeat, questions have been asked as to whether Joshua can still mix it with the best the heavyweight division has to offer.

At the age of 35, the curtain is slowly coming down on Joshua's boxing career, therefore the career high pay days will turn the British sporting superstar's head with Jake Paul surprisingly in contention to face AJ after taking on 'Tank' Davis on November 14.

There is also the long awaited grudge match with Tyson Fury, but the latter is currently retired meaning the 'Battle of Britain' has no chance of happening, for now.

Joshua's future as a top three heavyweight was discussed on Monday's episode of Inside The Ring, and former American heavyweight Chris Arreola criticised the Olympian's fighting style likening it to the character Jane from Tarzan.

"There’s too much flinching. After Ruiz hit him a couple of times, after that fight, he fights very scared, very timid," Arreola said when asked to explain his reasoning.

When it comes to Joshua's fighting style, the shock loss to Andy Ruiz Jr in June 2019 did prompt a change.

The rematch six months later saw Joshua use his boxing ability instead of his explosive hands to secure the win.

• Read next | Eddie Hearn reveals 10-man shortlist for Anthony Joshua's comeback including fellow Olympic champion but does it feature Tyson Fury?

While Joshua has still been able to showcase his punching power to create devastating knockouts against the likes of Kubrat Pulev and Robert Helenius, struggles were found against higher level opponents with the two losses to Oleksandr Usyk and the defeat to Dubois exposing a fighter who looked a shadow of his former self.

Joshua's recent performances have resulted in plenty of criticism, but if there's one thing that will fuel AJ in his comeback, it will be the desire to prove the doubters wrong and have one last ride at the heavyweight division's top table when he laces up the gloves in 2026.

Watch the biggest fights and best fighters with a DAZN subscription

A DAZN subscription provides access to over 185 fights a year across a range of combat sports from the world's best promoters.

For pricing and more information, click here