In May, Anthony Joshua (28-4; 25 KOs) announced that he would undergo surgery on his elbow, which would keep him out of training for six to eight weeks. This meant that a hypothetical fight against Tyson Fury (34-2-1; 24 KOs) was unlikely to happen in 2025.
The last time AJ stepped into a ring was in September 2024. The former world heavyweight champion was stopped in five rounds by then-IBF champion Daniel Dubois. On the other hand, the ‘Gypsy King’ has been out of the ring since last December, when he succumbed for the second time to Oleksandr Usyk. Fury even retired once again – for the fourth time – after that defeat.
Joshua is already working in the gym and planning his comeback. Speaking to Sky Sports, his promoterEddie Hearn, explained what the next steps for his fighter will be: “We have to choose carefully the next fight, and I think the best way to do that is to be honest and say it will be a comeback fight to have a shot next summer. We want it to be against Tyson Fury [summer 2026]. If not, it will be another huge fight,” said Hearn, adding: “We need a ‘top 15’ fighter now. It’s not going to be Fury, Usyk, Dubois or all those heavyweights. We need someone so that AJ can come back in a competitive fight after being out for more than a year and prepare for what will be his last chance”.
The British promoter is clear that AJ’s return will be more about getting a feel for things and gaining confidence, and that in the summer of 2026 is when they will attempt a big fight. He points to Tyson Fury, and the British public and the boxing world in general deserves this duel, even if it comes very late. The winner of the two would achieve a good position. If the ‘Gypsy King’ is looking for another shot at Usyk, the best thing he can do is to go against Joshua first. A Joshua-Itauma fight would not be bad either, as it would bring together the ‘old lion’ and the new contender to become the alpha male
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