Powerful boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, the group chairman at Matchroom and long-time representative of Anthony Joshua, has revealed a timeline for when the two-time heavyweight world champion fighter will return to the boxing ring, and whom he will likely return against.
Though Hearn and ‘AJ’ will continue to monitor Tyson Fury’s whereabouts, and whether he’ll return to the fight game after announcing another of his retirements, and depending on what happens in the Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois rematch this summer, discussions have taken place with two alternative opponents.
Joshua remains a hot commodity in combat sports because of his mainstream appeal and an interest in whether he still has what it takes to compete at the highest echelons of the sport, considering how brutally Dubois annihilated him last year. However, this new two-man hit-list could get Joshua back on track.
Eddie Hearn Reveals Anthony Joshua’s New Two-Man Hit-list
Joshua in talks for a new deal with Riyadh Season and Turki Alalshikh
Joshua has one of the deepest resumes in the modern heavyweight era as he’s beaten Wladimir Klitschko, Joseph Parker, and Alexander Povetkin, among others. After back-to-back losses to Usyk, he rebounded with thumping wins over Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin, and Francis Ngannou before Dubois de-railed his plans to become a three-time heavyweight king, like Muhammad Ali.
Hearn told Boxing Scene that he’s had discussions about “a two-fight deal with Riyadh Season” — and that may not even include fights against Fury, or the Usyk-Dubois rematch. He said boxing financier Turki Alalshikh met with him on the night Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez defeated William Scull in a lackluster display in Saudi Arabia, and talked about plans for the future.
On when Joshua could return to the ring for the first time since the devastating defeat to Dubois, Hearn said:
“We want to box sometime this year, October, November, December.”
When it came to specific opponents, he added: “We’ll see what happens with Dubois-Usyk, we’ll see what happens with Fury. And if we don’t fight those guys, we’ll fight, and then maybe we’ll follow one of those guys next year.”
Speculation over alternative opponents has arisen in recent times, with Dillian Whyte, who Joshua has fought and beaten before, and American contender Jared Anderson, both linked to Joshua. “Two guys that have been discussed, but nothing concrete,” said Hearn.
Joshua is 35 and turns 36 on October 15 — around the time Hearn wants the boxer to return to the ring.
