Hearn Says AJ Will Return In 2026

Eddie Hearn says Anthony Joshua (28-4-0, 25 KOs) will not fight again until 2026, as he remains hopeful of a Tyson Fury (34-2-1, 24 KOs) fight. 

Joshua has not boxed since Daniel Dubois knocked him out in September last year. AJ underwent surgery on his elbow following the loss. He was linked with a fight against Tony Yoka, but that never materialized. A Jake Paul fight also failed as The Problem Child will box Tank Davis in November. While the Fury fight has been mentioned, The Gypsy King is currently retired. Hearn expects Joshua’s next move to become clearer in 2026. The Matchroom promoter has also said that an offer for a fight in Ghana has been made.

“Right now, all that’s in my mind in an ideal scenario is to fight Tyson Fury next year. That’s the big focus. From a common-sense perspective, the fight has to happen in 2026, but common sense and Fury’s decisions don’t always gel together. He’s got to want to come back. It’s a personal decision,” Hearn said

“It was well publicized about the meetings that took place in Ghana over the last couple of weeks. There has been an offer to do a fight there. I think it would be incredible for AJ to fight in Africa. “However, when you are doing site deals, a lot of it depends on when the host wants to stage the show. So, if Ghana comes back and says they’d like to go in January or February, then that’s the offer,” Hearn added