Anthony Joshua’s ‘tentative’ return date revealed as Tyson Fury fight update provided by Eddie Hearn

Eddie Hearn is putting in the legwork behind the scenes to secure a comeback fight for Anthony Joshua.

The Watford powerhouse hasn’t set foot in the ring since dispatching Jake Paul inside six rounds in December.

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Another tune-up fight had been pencilled in for February in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, until disaster struck.

While on holiday in Nigeria, a car Joshua was travelling in collided with a stationary truck parked on the hard shoulder.

Joshua escaped with minor injuries, but his close friends and team members, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, were tragically killed.

AJ’s future had been uncertain in the wake of the accident.

However, Hearn has now confirmed that there are tentative plans in place for his client to return to the ring in July.

“Originally, the plan with ‘AJ’ was for him to fight in March and then fight Tyson Fury in August,” Hearn told BoxingScene.

“That’s not happening. He’s not fighting Tyson Fury next.

“He’s going to come back, I believe, in 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.

“So, for me, I’m looking at options to get him back in the ring in July time.

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“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 could Anthony Joshua finally face Tyson Fury?

The long-awaited all-British showdown with Fury still looms large.

Boxing fans have been clamouring to see the pair face each other for the best part of eight years, and their wish could be on the verge of being granted.

“I think we’re open to the Tyson Fury fight, but probably that’s more likely end of the year – maybe early 2027,” Hearn added.

Of course, both men will have to win their respective next fights in order to lock in the big one.

Fury ends a 16-month hiatus from competition on April 11 when he squares off against Russia’s Arslanbek Makhmudov at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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Getty

The frontrunner for Joshua’s spring showdown was former Glory Kickboxing heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven.

A bout with 24-4 American Cassius Chaney had also been lined up for an undercard at the back end of November, as first reported by talkSPORT.com.

It remains unclear whether either man is in the running for July.