ANTHONY JOSHUA could make his boxing return in Nigeria – before focussing on settling his drawn out score with Tyson Fury.
having not fought since his September 2024 knockout loss to Daniel Dubois.
Anthony Joshua with promoter Eddie Hearn
but has returned to training – also meeting with Eddie Hearn in Dubai for talks over a return to the ring.
Promoter Hearn told ESPN : “I thought initially no to AJ fighting this year, but now possibly.
“I went to Dubai to see him, and he is really back and locked in, zoned in.
“Getting over the defeat took him a good few months, then he had the injury, then he went back to camp, then he rested, but then it went again and he needed an operation, so that was another three months or so.
“It has been a really frustrating period. But when I saw him in Dubai I just really wanted to look him in the eye and find out if he wanted a quick money grab before you call it quits, or do you really want it, and the answer is the latter, he really wants to become three-time world heavyweight champion. That’s his motivation.”
Hearn has had interest from Ghana and Nigeria – where AJ’s parents were born –
He said: “We have had an approach from Ghana, and now Nigeria. I think AJ fighting in Africa would be incredible.
“If he fights again in February or March, he will have been out of the ring for 18 months.
“It’s a huge amount of time to come back versus a top ten heavyweight but also it’s Anthony Joshua and you have got these big site deals so you can’t just fight some random geezer who is ranked 100th in the world over eight rounds.
“If he wasn’t Anthony Joshua, you might actually do that but it’s very difficult to do that in his position.”
Martin Bakole, Tony Yoka and former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder
Fury, 37, retired in January just one month after losing to Oleksandr Usyk, 38, for the second time in 2024.
But the unpredictable Gypsy King has continued to tease a return in 2026 – leaving AJ waiting in the wings.
Hearn, who had talks with Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh, said: “I’ve never heard him speak about anyone like he speaks about Tyson Fury, not just wanting to fight him, but saying he can’t wait to knock him spark out.
“I’ve never heard him talk like that before. He really wants to fight him, and really wants to beat him.
“But he is also looking at the division and how it is going to fragment a little bit with the belts, and also he’s looking at getting active.
“He was saying to me, ‘You know how some people go away on a smaller show just to get some rounds in, people go to Mexico to have a fight off the radar.’
I’ve never heard him speak about anyone like he speaks about Tyson Fury, not just wanting to fight him, but saying he can’t wait to knock him spark out. “I’ve never heard him talk like that before. He really wants to fight him, and really wants to beat him.
Eddie Hearn on Anthony Joshua
“That’s difficult to do when you are probably the most famous boxer in the world.
“But when you have been out for a year or so, it’s very difficult to go back into a big fight without getting that momentum.
“When we fight Fury or who ever is going to be in the big fight in 2026, we would just like to get a bit of momentum going, which is good news for fight fans because he wants to fight, he wants to be active.
“When I said to him you have probably got another 18 months and he said ‘Why are you putting a number on it?’.
“I was in Riyadh last week with His Excellency and he has a plan he wants to put in place for AJ as well which inevitably includes the Tyson Fury fight.
“To be honest, I think Turki Alalshikh is probably the only one who can make the Tyson Fury fight because both guys are going to want a huge amount of money and Turki has a reputation for making the biggest fights in the sport.
“And the biggest fight in the sport is Anthony Joshua versus Tyson Fury, no question about it.
“We are ready. One of the great things about Turki is that he will individually do the deal with both sides.
“You do your deal with Turki, and then allow him to do the other side.”
Tyson Fury is teasing a comeback in 2026 
