Anthony Joshua could return sooner than expected after surprise Eddie Hearn update

Joshua was injured in a car crash in December, in which two of his teammates were killed

Anthony Joshua could return to the ring sooner than expected, after the boxing star was involved in a fatal car crash in December.

Just days after Joshua knocked out Jake Paul, beating the influencer in six rounds, he suffered injuries as a passenger in a car accident in Nigeria. The crash claimed the lives of two of Joshua’s teammates: Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele.

In the fallout of that accident, Joshua’s fighting future has been up in the air, with some fans questioning whether the former world heavyweight champion would box again.

However, “AJ” was soon back to training, and now his promoter has suggested that a competitive return could come as soon as July.

“Look, originally the plan with AJ was for him to fight in March, and then fight Tyson Fury in August,” Eddie Hearn told Boxing Scene on Thursday. “That’s not happening, he’s not fighting Tyson Fury next.

“He’s going to come back – I believe – late summer, but physically he’s not yet in a position to return to camp. So, I’m planning, but he’s just resting and preparing.

Anthony Joshua (left) with his promoter Eddie Hearn in February 2025 (Getty Images)

“So for me, I’m looking at options to get him back in the ring in July time, but we’ll only know if that’s a real possibility when he returns to camp, which will hopefully be in the next couple of weeks or a month.”

When asked whether Joshua’s next bout could be somewhat of a warm-up for a tougher test, Matchroom’s Hearn said: “I think every fight’s dangerous, coming off what he’s come off, but yeah, I think...

“We’re open to the Tyson Fury fight, but probably more likely end of the year, maybe early 2027.”

Joshua, 36, was linked with kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven prior to December’s crash, but Hearn said: “I believe he’s fighting... rumours of him fighting [Oleksandr] Usyk, yeah.”

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Usyk, who twice beat Joshua on points, is currently the unified heavyweight champion, while Fabio Wardley holds the WBO title. Elsewhere in the division, Fury will box Arslanbek Makhmudov on 11 April, as the Briton emerges from retirement for the fifth time.

Tyson Fury (left) will box Arslanbek Makhmudov on 11 April (Getty)

As Hearn hinted, Joshua and Fury were on course for a long-awaited showdown this year, but AJ’s accident has disrupted those plans. It is currently expected that Fury, 37, will target a world-title fight if he beats Russia’s Makhmudov.

Fury vs Makhmudov will stream live on Netflix, like Joshua’s win over Paul, and it will take place one week after Derek Chisora fights Deontay Wilder. Chisora is a friend of Joshua, who has long been linked to a possible clash with Wilder.