Anthony Joshua is now expected to make his boxing comeback in July, according to his promoter Eddie Hearn. The British heavyweight has not fought since surviving a serious car crash in Nigeria last December.
The incident, which happened while Joshua was visiting family over the Christmas period, sadly resulted in the deaths of two of his friends and members of his training team, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele. Joshua was taken to hospital at the time but has since recovered.
His last time in the ring was a victory over Jake Paul in Miami, where he won by knockout in the sixth round.
Hearn explained that the original plan for Joshua to return in March, with a potential fight against Tyson Fury, is no longer possible.
“He was due to fight in March, then fight Tyson Fury,” Hearn said. “That’s not happening anymore. He won’t be fighting Tyson Fury next. We’ve really not had any solid plans to announce what’s next.”
Hearn confirmed that the focus for the former two-time world champion is now on getting back into training. While Joshua is not yet ready to start camp physically, he is said to be eager to resume training.
“I think there’s nothing more that he wants at the moment than to return to training camp because it’s where he loves to be,” Hearn added.
“Really, I think July is the time to return. We are looking at multiple options around the world for that potential return. I haven’t spoken that deeply with Anthony yet until he gets back into camp, and hopefully that will be in the next couple of weeks.”
Meanwhile, Tyson Fury is preparing for his own fight against Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 11. It will be his first bout since losing to Oleksandr Usyk in their rematch in December 2024.