‘Joshua has three fights left’

MANCHESTER. – Anthony Joshua could have anywhere “between one and three fights left” in his heavyweight boxing career, but will return this year, according to his promoter Eddie Hearn.

Joshua (35), has not fought since his defeat to Daniel Dubois in September 2024, when he tumbled to the canvas during a devastating fifth round. He recently suffered an injury set-back but is set to make a highly-anticipated return to boxing this year and Hearn said the former world heavyweight champion is targeting the “biggest fight possible”.

Hearn told the Independent: “The next decision is really important, he’s got anywhere between one and three fights left. We’ve got to get it right, but he is 100 per cent fighting this year. “He is definitely fighting in 2025, when I don’t really know because he’s probably got about two weeks before we can go back to training and start punching properly. That’s been the problem for him, but once he does that we can start thinking about a realistic date.

“We’re not really in any rush because the decision is so important. Obviously, in a dream scenario Mr (Tyson) Fury just wakes up one morning and goes ‘Yeah, we’ll give everyone the biggest fight in boxing’.

“Probably calls AJ and then they get a deal done on the phone, in five minutes. But, we can’t operate on that basis, so right now we are just looking to meet up in a couple of weeks and go through the options.”

Hearn also discussed the pressure of choosing the right date for AJ’s return to the ring, expressing that: “Until he returns back to full-time training it’s difficult to nail a date.

“If he starts training in May or just after it may have been a little bit early, so for us it’s August or September – something like that.

“People keep saying ‘Who?’ (will he fight), I always get asked in an interview ‘Who though, give us some names?’

“I honestly don’t know, he can fight anyway he wants, and at the moment he’s just kind of relaxed. He’s been to Nigeria and had a great time out there. He is looking forward to fighting again but also we recognised that the next decision has to be right, we’re looking forward to that.”

Hearn guaranteed: “It will be a big fight, the biggest fight possible and I believe he still has a lot to give.” – independent.co.uk/Sports Reporter.