Promoter Eddie Hearn says that Anthony Joshua doesn’t have any “solid plans” to announce a return to the ring yet, but that the former heavyweight champ may be just about ready to return to camp.
Hearn told Sky Sports that Joshua (29-4, 26 KO) was planning to return in March, then wanted to fight Tyson Fury later in the year. Those plans have been scrapped, following the tragic car crash that took the lives of two of Joshua’s friends and team members in December, following Joshua’s win over Jake Paul with the fighter on holiday in Nigeria.
But Hearn says that Joshua is looking to get back to work soon, and plans may start to come together soon.
“The focus for Anthony Joshua is to get back into training camp. He’s not ready to go back into training camp, physically, but it’s getting closer,” said Hearn. “And I think there’s nothing more he wants at the moment than to return to training camp, because it’s where he loves to be.
“I think July to return, and we’re looking at multiple options around the world. Haven’t spoken too deeply with Anthony yet, [and won’t] until he gets back into camp, and hopefully that will be in the next couple of weeks.”
Joshua knocked out Paul in the sixth round on December 19, a money-making venture that was meant to push Joshua toward a big, more significant fight in 2026. The accident changed all of those plans, obviously, but early rumors that Joshua might be announcing a retirement also seem to have petered out, and we’re looking more likely than not to see AJ continue his career.
Fury, meanwhile, is set to return in April against Arslanbek Makhmudov. In theory, Fury vs Joshua could still definitely happen by the end of 2026, but there are a lot of “ifs” involved in that scenario at the moment, on both sides.
