Anthony Joshua will not fight until 2026, Eddie Hearn reveals

A December bout in Africa has been deemed highly unlikely

Anthony Joshua (28-4, 25 KO’s) last laced up in September last year, when he was fundamentally beaten and bruised by a ferocious Daniel Dubois (22-3, 21 KO’s) at Wembley Stadium.

It's long been speculated when he would make his ring return, with rumours circulating surrounding a potential date in Africa towards the year's end.

Speaking to Sky Sports, AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn has revealed that a 2025 return is highly unlikely. 

"No, definitely not [fight in Africa agreed]. There are all kinds of rumours swirling around about Anthony Joshua at the moment," Hearn told Sky Sports.

"As always in the boxing world, maybe 5 per cent are right and 95 per cent are wrong. The situation is he's in camp, he's started his training camp now. We had talked about the possibility of some kind of run-out fight this year.

"I think as the days pass, that becomes less likely. February is the solid date for an AJ fight. Now, whether that's a second fight or whether that's his first fight back, we'll see.

"As I said, at this stage, it feels like February will be his next fight. But we talked before about it being difficult for AJ because you come back off what will be a year and a half out of the ring at that point and you're thrust back into a massive arena or stadium."Back in a high-profile fight, back in a tough fight. We just talked about the kind of blessing that would be a run-out fight without those kind of pressures. And just a chance for him to wrap his hands, get back in the feet of things.

"But he's never really had the opportunity to do that. Unfortunately, that comes with the territory of being Anthony Joshua. Right now, he's in training camp and he's very focused for his return.

"We have had offers to stage an AJ fight in Ghana. Also approaches to stage an AJ fight in Nigeria. Also, obviously, we're in deep conversations with Turki Al-Sheikh about a multi-fight deal that could include Tyson Fury, which would be the greatest scenario.

"There are a lot of options. But I can tell you now, the main thing is that he's back in full training camp and his mind is fully focused on a return to the ring. That's great news."