Joshua targeting July return but won't face Fury next

Anthony Joshua is pencilling in a July comeback to the ring, his first outing since the harrowing events that overshadowed the festive period, but a long-awaited showdown with domestic rival Tyson Fury will have to wait, promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed.

The two-time former heavyweight champion was involved in a fatal road-traffic accident while visiting family in Nigeria last December. The collision claimed the lives of two close friends and training partners, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, and left Joshua hospitalised. He has not fought since stopping social-media star Jake Paul in the sixth round in Miami.

Initial plans had called for Joshua to compete in March before meeting Fury later in the year, yet the crash forced a reassessment of the schedule. “That’s not happening anymore,” Hearn told The Sportsman. “He won’t be fighting Tyson Fury next. We’ve really not had any solid plans to announce what’s next.”

Instead, the Matchroom boss says the immediate priority is rebuilding Joshua’s physical condition and mental resilience. “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. 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 that July is the provisional target, with “multiple options around the world” already under review. “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,” he said.

While Joshua plots his return, Fury is locked in on an April assignment. The Wembley-born heavyweight will face hard-hitting Russian Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 11 April, his first bout since surrendering the undisputed crown to Oleksandr Usyk in their December rematch.

Interestingly, Fury credits Joshua’s misfortune with prompting his own U-turn on retirement. Holidaying in Thailand when news of the crash broke, the 36-year-old said the tragedy forced him to reassess his future. “Life is very short, very precious and very fragile,” he reflected. “You should never put things off until tomorrow… I made my mind up there and then that I’m going to come back to boxing.”

Joshua, meanwhile, has channelled his grief into purpose. In his lone public appearance since the accident, the Londoner vowed to honour the memory of Ghami and Ayodele by continuing to chase greatness inside the ropes. “My goal is to continue to help them achieve their goals,” he said. “It’s going to take a lot of strength from a higher power… I’m going to do what’s right by their family. The mission must go on.”

With Fury tied up in the spring and Joshua targeting a summer resumption, the prospect of a British superfight remains tantalisingly out of reach—for now. All parties insist the matchup is still on the radar, yet the immediate roadmap points to separate paths for the two giants of the division.