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anthony joshua A new invitation to fight a new challenger has been received, with Guido Vianello calling the former world champion for a meeting. colosseum Of Rome.
The Italian, appropriately nicknamed ‘The Gladiator’, made the offer to Joshua after defeating previously undefeated Alexis Brier on the undercard of Jaron Ennis’ impressive win over Uisma Lima on Saturday night.
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Vianello improved to 14-3-1 (12 KOs) with the stoppage, scoring an impressive win over Dave Allen champ Arslanbek Makhmudov. Vianello, now 31, has also shared the ring with heavyweight contenders Efe Ajagba and Richard Torrez Jr., losing to the pair in 2024 and 2025 respectively.
In the in-ring interview following the win over Barriere, Vianello declared: “Now I want a bigger name. You know what name I want? Anthony Joshua. I want him in front of me.
“Let’s fight in Rome, in the Colosseum, in London, wherever you want. But please give me a big name because I’m 31 years old. I don’t have time to spare, I want to win now.”
In 2021 it was announced that a new floor would be installed in the Colosseum, allowing events to be held in the iconic Roman arena. Built in the 1st century, the Colosseum hosted gladiator competitions for the best part of 400 years.
An Olympian who competed in the 2016 super heavyweight tournament, Vianello’s greatest achievement as an amateur was a silver medal at the EU Championships in 2014, earned after losing to British heavyweight Fraser Clarke in the final.
Joshua has been inactive since losing to Daniel Dubois in September 2024. He had elbow surgery over the summer. ‘AJ’ was scheduled to return before the end of 2025, according to promoter eddie hern A date in early 2026 suggested.
Makhmudov, ousted by Vianello in 2024, has also put his name forward to fight Joshua following his win at the weekend.
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Joshua has been vocal about eventually meeting heavyweight rival Tyson Fury inside the ring in 2026, with his promoter Hearn previously suggesting a tune-up bout for both fighters ahead of a major event in the summer.
If Joshua does not fight before the end of 2025, it will be the first time he has been inactive for an entire calendar year since turning professional in 2013.
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