Eddie Hearn says Anthony Joshua will fight in May or June and start training camp in January. Meanwhile, the former two-time heavyweight champion (28-4, 25 KOs) will have four months off to recover from his knockout loss to IBF champion Daniel Dubois on September 21.
Joshua Eyes May/June Bout
Hearn says Joshua, 35, will fight twice in 2025, hoping to face Tyson Fury in two fights. If not, a rematch with Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs). AJ still wants revenge for his loss, but first on the agenda is Fury if he doesn’t retire.
Understandably, Hearn is pushing hard to rush and make the Joshua vs. Fury because both fighters are old and can no longer be counted on to win a level contest. If Hearn had waited, both guys would have continued to be beaten by younger or older heavyweights.
While both of them can still beat a lot of guys in the top 15, there are more than a few heavyweights in this division that have a good chance of beating them.
Hearn says Joshua-Fury and Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn two of the biggest fights of British boxing. He could be right. Fans want to see both of those contests, even if the rest of the world doesn’t.
“In May or June. He is not in full training yet. He is probably ready to resume training in January,” said Eddie Hearn on iFL TV about when Anthony Joshua will fight next. “Right now, you have the battle of Dubois [against Joseph Parker] on February 22, and you should see what Fury wants to do.
“We are not in a big hurry. AJ will fight twice in 2025. Both in summer and in winter. If we can’t fight the Dubois and if Fury doesn’t want to fight, should you make a decision to fight someone, or wait for those fights?
“I will not speak on behalf of AJ, who he is willing to fight, but what I know is that the focus is on Daniel Dubois or Tyson Fury. Yes, of course [Joshua] you have done everything. If he gets Fury on his resume, he’s tied almost everyone of his era.
AJ vs. Fury in 2025?
Fury still hasn’t said if he will fight Joshua. He was devastated after losing his 12-round unanimous decision to joint heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in their December 21 rematch in Riyadh. He believes he won the fight in three rounds and appeared sour in the post-fight press conference, bemoaning his second loss against Usyk.
As upset as Fury is, the money he can get from fighting Joshua will get him back in the ring. He won’t be angry for long if $100 million is waved under his snoot by Turki Al-Shiekh in the AJ tournament.
“That’s right [Fury] a tough fight, it’s a 50-50 fight, but run twice and see where we are at the end of it. Two of the biggest fights in British boxing, Eubank-Benn and Fury-AJ, by a mile. Not even close,” Hearn said.
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