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eddie hern has revealed that it is now likely anthony joshua Will return to the ring before the end of the year, before rolling his last dice in 2026.
However, Joshua’s promoter made the shocking claim that if “AJ” returns this year, he will not headline a show, marking the first time in 10 years that the former unified heavyweight champion will not be the main attraction.
The last time this happened was when Joshua knocked out kevin johnson In 2015.
“There’s a possibility he could be out this year,” Hearn told IFL TV. “It’s probably impossible. But he’s ready to fight, and he’s in camp. We’re not going to put him in any major events this year.”
Joshua has not fought since Career-interrupting fifth round knockout lose to Daniel Dubois In September 2024. Hearn explained that if Joshua fights this year, he wants to take the pressure off, giving him the best preparation possible for the final two fights of his career next year.
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“He last fought a year ago,” Hearn said. “Every time he fights, he needs to go into the stadium, fill it up and fight so-and-so. There’s a part of him that says, ‘I just want to go in there. I don’t need all the razzmatazz. Just let me go in there and wrap my arms around him and crunch somebody.’
“We don’t need the money, we need the preparation to be the best, and if we feel that run out will put us in a good position for February, which won’t be an easy battle…
“And more importantly, it will prepare us to be the best we can be to fight Tyson Fury.”
If Joshua returns this year, it is uncertain who he will face as he looks to dust off any potential ring-rust. The Briton received a call-out from heavyweight contender Guido Vianello last weekend after he scored a knockout win over Alexis Barrier, with the Italian trying to tempt Joshua with a fight at the Colosseum in Rome.
Arslanbek Makhmudov, who defeated Dave Allen last weekend, has also claimed that Joshua has verbally agreed to fight him, but it is more likely to happen in early 2026 than this year.
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