Eddie Hearn predicted that Antoine Joshua will return to the ring in “May or June”, with the former champion set to miss February’s mega-card in Saudi Arabia.
Boxing journalist And Raphael reported this week that Daniel Dubois will defend the IBF heavyweight title against Joseph Parker on February 22, with Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2 among other fights planned in Riyadh.
Dubois’ first title defense took place in September, when he knocked out Joshua at Wembley StadiumAnd the conversation quickly turned to revenge. But Joshua will have to wait to get his hands on his fellow Brit again, it seems – while Hearn suggested AJ vs Fury could be an alternative solution.
Fury is scheduled to box on December 21, aiming to avenge his May loss to Oleksandr Usyk, as the two men vie for the Ukrainian’s unified titles.
“I think camp is going to start early next year now,” Hearn said. Professional boxing fans. “There is a lot of work to do for AJ. He is very motivated, he rested well and he will rest again (in) December as well.
“I think you’ll see him again around May or June. For me the two fights are Daniel Dubois and Tyson Fury.
“Obviously we’ll be watching him, he’ll be ringside on December 21, and I think he’ll be one of the next ones (Dubois and Fury). I still get asked every day, on the street, at gas stations, wherever, “When are we going to see AJ vs. Fury?” Who cares (about the roles of Dubois and Usyk); When are (Joshua and Fury) going to fight?’
“I think win or lose (for Fury against Usyk), you’re going to see this fight. But we would much rather Tyson Fury win, because he would be heavyweight champion of the world again. Either way, I think we need to see this fight in 2025, and I believe we will.
Usyk held the unified titles before taking the WBC belt from Fury in May, becoming the first undisputed heavyweight champion in nearly 25 years. He was then forced to relinquish the IBF title, meaning Dubois went from interim champion to regular champion.
If Usyk and Dubois win their next fights, they could meet again for an undisputed fight in 2025 – two years after the Ukrainian stopped the Briton in Poland.
This could open the door for Joshua to fight Fury, in a clash fans have wanted for years.
