ANTHONY JOSHUA will be offered domestic dust-ups against Joe Joyce and Daniel Dubois for his return to the ring next year.
The former two-time unified heavyweight world champion is looking for a new opponent after a shock December showdown with Tyson Fury fell through.
A number of veterans are in the mix to be AJ’s dance partner early next year, although Queensberry Promotions chief Frank Warren is hoping to secure the gold ticket for Joyce or Dubois.
He told Sky Sports: “Now I’m going to be able to start throwing Daniel Dubois at him and Joe [Joyce].”
Warren, however, doesn’t believe the Olympic gold medallist would accept fights with his surging heavyweights.
He said: “If he don’t fight one of them I think they’ll find it hard to sell anything and he can’t say, ‘Why should I do that?’.
“‘ll tell you why, he’ll become a mandatory.”
Joyce and Dubois, 37 and 25 respectively, scored big knockouts over Joseph Parker and Trevor Bryan in their last outings.
And Warren firmly believes the duo would batter Joshua if given the chance to face the Golden Boy of British boxing.
He witheringly said of AJ: “He’s liable to get knocked over by anybody. I’d put any of my guys in with him.
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“Any of them. Joe Joyce would knock him out and Dubois would do the same.”
Putney pounder Joyce is currently the mandatory challenger for Oleksandr Usyk’s WBO heavyweight title.
Warren said: “We’ve worked very hard over the last few years on this heavyweight scene and we’ve guided our guys in different organisations and we’ve boxed it off a bit so I’m pleased.
“Joe done extremely well [against Joseph Parker], got great reviews back from America because his fight done big numbers over there.
“It was a good fight to watch. He’s set himself up. Him and Tyson [Fury] will be a huge fight, [Deontay] Wilder will be a huge fight, AJ.
“He’ll be out in February. He’s in a real good spot.”
