Anthony Joshua is edging closer to a return to the ring, with discussions underway for a two-fight deal set to begin later this year in Saudi Arabia.
The 35-year-old former heavyweight champion has been sidelined in 2024 after undergoing successful elbow surgery in May. Despite his absence, Joshua has been actively planning his comeback.
Earlier this month, in an interview with ESPN Mexico, Joshua revealed that he was targeting a return in December, depending on his recovery. Now, talks are intensifying around a potential deal with Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Season to facilitate his comeback. Initial reports from NoSmoke Sport had suggested a three-fight deal, but Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has denied this, confirming that the current discussions revolve around a two-fight plan.
“That’s not true,” Hearn told Boxing Scene. “We are actually discussing a two-fight deal with Riyadh Season. Turki Alalshikh mentioned this during our meeting on May 3, following Canelo’s fight. The plan is to box sometime this year, either in October, November, or December.”
Joshua has not fought since his fifth-round knockout loss to Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium. This defeat significantly shifted the heavyweight landscape, with Dubois now set to face champion Oleksandr Usyk in another highly anticipated bout at Wembley.
Hearn also mentioned that Joshua’s team is closely monitoring the outcome of the Dubois-Usyk fight, as well as the uncertain future of Tyson Fury.
“We’ll see what happens with Dubois-Usyk, and we’ll see what happens with Fury,” Hearn said. “If we don’t fight those guys, we’ll face someone else, and maybe challenge one of them next year.”
While speculation about a potential high-profile rematch with Fury continues, the former WBC champion has firmly dismissed the idea of a return to the sport. In a video message, Fury declared his retirement, saying: “I hear a lot of talk about the Gypsy King returning to boxing, but I ask: for what? I’m in no rush to come back and get my face punched in. I am retired and staying retired.”
With potential fights against Usyk or Fury uncertain, other possible opponents for Joshua have emerged, including American heavyweight Jared Anderson and British rival Dillian Whyte.
“Two guys that have been discussed, but nothing concrete,” Hearn confirmed.
Anderson recently returned to winning ways, claiming a unanimous decision victory over Marios Kollias in February after suffering a knockout loss to Martin Bakole in Los Angeles.
