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Almost two months on from the tragic car accident in Nigeria that killed two of his close friends, Anthony Joshua is expected to make an imminent return to training and could be in the ring again by July. That is according to promoter Eddie Hearn, who also revealed that plans for a fight with Tyson Fury have changed, and could be pushed back to later this year or early 2027.
Anthony Joshua could make his return to the ring in July, according to Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn.
The former two-time unified world heavyweight champion was involved in a car accident in December that left two of his close friends dead.
Joshua did not suffer severe injuries, but it was unclear if and when he would compete again. Hearn has now revealed that the 36-year-old, who most recently fought Jake Paul in Miami, could be back in the ring this summer.
“I’m looking at options to get him back in the ring in July,” Hearn told the press in Nottingham on Thursday. “We’ll only know if that’s a real possibility when he returns to camp.”
Hearn also outlined plans for Joshua’s next opponents amid ongoing talk of a fight with Tyson Fury, who came out of retirement again last month.
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“Originally, the plan for AJ was for him to fight in March and then fight Tyson Fury in August. That’s not happening,” Hearn said.
“He’s not fighting Tyson Fury next. He’s going to come back, I believe, late summer, but physically he’s not yet in a position to return to camp. I’m planning, but he’s just resting and preparing.”
Hearn added that Joshua’s return to camp “will hopefully be in the next couple of weeks or a month”.
On a potential date for the Fury fight, he said: “I think every fight is dangerous, coming off what he’s come off. We’re open to the Fury fight but probably more likely [near the] end of the year, maybe early 2027.”
Fury, meanwhile, has said Joshua’s accident in Nigeria was a factor in his decision to come out of retirement, with The Gypsy King set to fight Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11.
