2025-10-24 11:10:45
Anthony Joshua will not fight in Africa this December, his promoter Eddie Hearn has said.
AJ, 36, is looking to return to the ring either later this year or in early 2026 and rumours have suggested Matchroom Boxing are considering Ghana and Nigera as potential options, but Hearn has ruled out the former heavyweight champion fighting in Africa in 2026.
When Sky Sports asked the promoter if they had agreed to an AJ fight in Africa, he said: “No, definitely not. There’s all kinds of rumours swirling around about Anthony Joshua at the moment.
“As always in the boxing world, maybe five per cent are right and 95 per cent are wrong. The situation is he’s in camp, he’s started his training camp now. We had talked about the possibility of some kind of run-out fight this year.”
The promoter added “February is the solid date” for Joshua to return to the ring.
He said: “I think as the days pass, that becomes less likely. February is the solid date for an AJ fight. Now, whether that’s a second fight or whether that’s his first fight back, we’ll see.
“As I said, at this stage, it feels like February will be his next fight. But we talked before about it being difficult for AJ because you come back off what will be a year and a half out of the ring at that point and you’re thrust back into a massive arena or stadium.
“Back in a high-profile fight, back in a tough fight. We just talked about the kind of blessing that would be a run-out fight without those kind of pressures. And just a chance for him to wrap his hands, get back in the feet of things.
“But he’s never really had the opportunity to do that. Unfortunately, that comes with the territory of being Anthony Joshua. Right now, he’s in training camp and he’s very focused for his return.”
Joshua has been out of action after he sustained an elbow injury during his bout with Daniel Dubois, 28, in September 2024.
Heavyweight contender Kingsley Ibeh, 31, recently called out Joshua for a fight in Nigeria, and Hearn has said “there are a lot of options” of opponents for Joshua to face – including Tyson Fury, 37.
The promoter said: “We have had offers to stage an AJ fight in Ghana. Also approaches to stage an AJ fight in Nigeria. Also, obviously, we’re in deep conversations with Turki Al-Sheikh about a multi-fight deal that could include Tyson Fury, which would be the greatest scenario.
“There are a lot of options. But I can tell you now, the main thing is that he’s back in full training camp and his mind is fully focused on a return to the ring. That’s great news.”
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