Boxing legend Amir Khan believes Anthony Joshua is in ‘semi-retirement’ despite the Brit looking to return to the ring later this year. Joshua has not fought since suffering a brutal knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois last September.

The pair looked certain to go head-to-head in an immediate rematch, but ‘AJ’ was not ready to fight soon after their initial encounter after sustaining some minor injuries in the bout. The 35-year-old recently had surgery on his elbow and is now looking to fight before the end of the year.

Joshua seems to be enjoying life at the moment and was recently spotted with Khan in Ghana. The pair appear to be on good terms again after Khan accused the British heavyweight of sleeping with his wife. Following their brief encounter, the 38-year-old has stated that he believes Joshua’s career is coming to an end.

In an interview with Vegas Insider, he said: “He seems to be in semi-retirement. He’s looking at all business opportunities and stuff like that, but he has done all of the hard work, AJ has done great things in the sport and has done it all.

“He is an Olympic gold-medallist, a former two-time world champion and I think he’s one or two fights away from retiring or maybe one more fight and he’ll call it a day but that’s just my opinion. We all want to see the Tyson Fury fight, let’s hope they can make it happen.”

With Joshua looking to get back to winning ways, he is still hoping to one day go head-to-head with long-time rival Tyson Fury. The ‘Gypsy King’ retired earlier this year after suffering his second defeat to Oleksandr Usyk. That said, he has teased a potential return to the ring over the last few weeks.

In an interview with Vegas Insider, he said: “He seems to be in semi-retirement. He’s looking at all business opportunities and stuff like that, but he has done all of the hard work, AJ has done great things in the sport and has done it all.

“He is an Olympic gold-medallist, a former two-time world champion and I think he’s one or two fights away from retiring or maybe one more fight and he’ll call it a day but that’s just my opinion. We all want to see the Tyson Fury fight, let’s hope they can make it happen.”

With Joshua looking to get back to winning ways, he is still hoping to one day go head-to-head with long-time rival Tyson Fury. The ‘Gypsy King’ retired earlier this year after suffering his second defeat to Oleksandr Usyk. That said, he has teased a potential return to the ring over the last few weeks.

“I have Daniel Dubois losing to Oleksandr Usyk and that would be a great comeback fight for Tyson as it is a fight still at the top (level) and then fight Oleksandr Usyk or Anthony Joshua which is the fight I want to see.

“There are a few good options still there for Fury because he is such a big name and has that backing. I think Fury takes the loser of Usyk vs Dubois and then fights Joshua or the king of the heavyweight division.

“With Fury and AJ, they have both had time out of the ring and I believe both fighters have a 50/50 chance of winning the fight. At first, I was favouring Tyson Fury but not anymore, I think it is a 50/50 fight. It is a fight where you can’t say who is going to win because is it the power or the boxing IQ that wins the fight? It’s hard to say.”

Anthony Joshua is not yet ready to return to the ring, with his promoter, Eddie Hearn, admitting that the former unified heavyweight champion’s comeback remains uncertain as he continues to recover from elbow surgery.

The 35-year-old has been out of action since his crushing knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois last year, which prompted surgery on an elbow injury that has delayed his return to training. He has also been seen on something of an African tour with his recent visits to Nigeria and Ghana.

Speaking to Boxing Social, Hearn was candid about Joshua’s current situation when asked about the heavyweight’s next step.

“Honestly, nowhere. Like, I mean, training camp not ready to start but close,” Hearn said.

“We had a conversation the other day, and I said to him ‘You need to let me know when you’d be ready by.’ And that was the end of October, but happy to fight in November or December.”

The British promoter revealed that Joshua is expected to fight only once this year, but admitted he has no clear idea about who the opponent might be.

“I have absolutely no idea,” Hearn confessed when pressed about potential opponents.

Names like Dillian Whyte and Jared Anderson were previously mentioned as possible opponents, but Whyte has since accepted a bout against rising prospect Moses Itauma on 16th August, whilst there have been no recent developments regarding Anderson.

Deontay Wilder remains interested in facing Joshua, with the American stating, “I’m ready. As long as he’s in the division and I am too, I’ll always be willing to fight.”

However, Wilder has his own commitments, with a scheduled fight against Tyrrell Anthony Herdon later this month.

Hearn indicated that his fighter is keeping a close eye on the upcoming 19th July clash between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois, both of whom hold victories over Joshua.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding Joshua’s immediate future, Hearn remains hopeful about making the long-awaited showdown with Tyson Fury happen.

“If we don’t make the Tyson Fury fight, it would be a big shame,” Hearn told Sky Sports. “For me, the Tyson Fury fight has to happen. I think there’s no excuse now why that shouldn’t happen.”

The promoter emphasised the cultural significance of such a matchup, saying, “To see those two in the opposite corner would be an iconic moment for not just British boxing, but British sport.”

Hearn hinted that Joshua’s career may be approaching its final chapter, suggesting that 2026 could be his last year in the sport.

“2026 could be his last year in the sport… one little last roll to this incredible career,” he said.

Former unified heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua is edging closer to a return to the ring, with negotiations reportedly advancing for a two-fight deal likely to kick off later this year in Saudi Arabia.

The 35-year-old Briton has been sidelined throughout 2024 due to elbow surgery, which was successfully completed in May.

Despite his absence from active competition, Joshua has been quietly plotting his return, with increasing momentum around a comeback as part of Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Season.

Speaking earlier this month to ESPN Mexico, Joshua disclosed he was targeting a December return, subject to his recovery timeline.

While initial reports from NoSmoke Sport suggested a three-fight contract was on the table, Joshua’s long-time promoter Eddie Hearn denied the claim.

“That’s not true,” Hearn told Boxing Scene.

“We are actually discussing a two-fight deal with Riyadh Season. Turki Alalshikh said that on the night of Canelo’s fight on May 3, when we had our meeting. “

“And that’s the plan really — we want to box sometime this year, October, November, December.”

Joshua last fought in 2023, when he suffered a fifth-round knockout loss to fellow Briton Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium.

Dubois is now lined up for a title shot against Oleksandr Usyk, the reigning unified heavyweight champion, in another Wembley showdown.

Hearn confirmed that Joshua’s team is closely monitoring developments in both the Dubois-Usyk bout and the uncertain future of Tyson Fury.

“We’ll see what happens with Dubois-Usyk, we’ll see what happens with Fury,” Hearn said.

“And if we don’t fight those guys, we’ll fight someone else, and then maybe follow one of those guys next year.”

As speculation swirled over a potential return for Tyson Fury, the former WBC champion firmly quashed the rumours in a video message:

“I hear a lot of talk about the Gypsy King returning to boxing and I ask this question: for what? What would I return for?” Fury said.

“I’m in no rush at all to come back to boxing and get my face punched in.”

“I am retired and I am staying retired. I have nothing to prove to anybody and nothing to return for.”

Joshua’s return to the ring might be a chapter in the veteran fighter’s career to seek and reclaim his place among the elite in the heavyweight division

Eddie Hearn updates Anthony Joshua’s health status for his return and who could be his next opponent

Anthony Joshua continues to recover from elbow injury that has kept him out of the ring

At 35 years of age, Anthony Joshua, the former unified heavyweight champion, could seriously consider stepping back and leaving boxing for good, as he is still recovering from elbow surgery following his knockout loss to Daniel Dubois in 2023. Although there has been speculation in recent times about possible fights against the likes of Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury, his physical condition remains an unknown, so his continuity in the boxing world is still uncertain.

On this subject, Eddie Hearn, his promoter, has shed some light on the situation, however the outlook does not look very encouraging. In a recent interview with Boxing Social, when asked about Joshua’s next step, he simply replied: “Honestly, nowhere. He’s not ready to start camp yet, but he’s close“. However, he added that Joshua could be ready to fight in late October, although he suggests that his return will probably happen in November or December.

Who will be Anthony Joshua’s next opponent?

Although names such as Dillian Whyte and Jared Anderson were previously mentioned, Whyte already has a fight scheduled against young prospect Moses Itauma on August 16, while there has been no recent progress regarding Anderson.

Deontay Wilder is another boxer who has stated that he is eager to face Anthony Joshua, however, this would not be in the near future, even if Joshua were to make a speedy recovery, as Wilder has a fight scheduled for late June against Tyrrell Anthony Herdon.

However, Wilder left the door open to the possibility of facing ‘AJ’:“I’m ready. As long as he’s in the division and I am too, I’ll always be willing to fight,” said Wilder.

When will Anthony Joshua return to the ring?

According to Hearn, Joshua has in mind a possible final stage in his career that would conclude in 2026. Although, for the moment, the aim is for him to fight once in 2025, if he recovers properly by then.

Meanwhile, Anthony Joshua‘s return remains a mystery, both in terms of date and opponent. What is certain is that time continues to move on and his team is clear that given his age it is also necessary to begin to evaluate options in a scenario where every decision could mark the final stretch of his career.