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anthony joshua The YouTuber turned boxer is reportedly set to end his 14-month ring hiatus with a last-minute fight against Jake Paul.
The former world heavyweight champion has not fought since a fifth-round defeat to British rival Daniel Dubois last September.
The loss halted Joshua’s momentum under trainer Ben Davison and increased his pursuit of another world title.
But on Tuesday, Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn revealed that a better fight is on the way.
Reports in the United States now suggest Joshua is close to finalizing a bout with Paul in Miami in December, as a number of rumors surrounding the two have intensified in recent months.
Paul lost to Tyson Fury’s brother Tommy in 2023, before beating legendary boxer Mike Tyson in an eight-round contest last year and was scheduled to face Gervonta Davis until a civil lawsuit against the WBA lightweight champion scrapped a planned November 14 exhibition fight.
Hearn confirmed on Monday that a decision needs to be made this week if Joshua is to be active in 2025.
“We’ll make a decision this week about whether he’ll fight this year or not. We’ll basically have to make a decision by this weekend,” Hearn told Sky Sports.
“It doesn’t really matter where it is. You won’t know about it until maybe even fight week. That’s the whole point of it, honestly.
“I think it would be great for him but also weird because there’s no money in the fight. We’re not going to start using him to sell tickets. Literally he’ll just come to a show.
“He’s really up for it. I think it would be great for him. I would love for him to go out there and crush somebody.”
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Following consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk, Joshua’s loss to Dubois ended a streak of four consecutive wins.
With old rival Tyson Fury expected to restart his boxing career in 2026, an eagerly awaited bout with Joshua is still a possibility for the pair.