Anthony Joshua could make his return to the ring later this year.
Joshua, who was involved in a car crash in Nigeria that killed two of his closest friends in December, is expected to return to camp in the next few weeks and could start fighting this summer, promoter Eddie Hearn said Thursday.
Following the crash that resulted in the deaths of Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele, Joshua’s future in boxing has been up in the air.
“Originally, the plan for AJ was for him to fight in March and then fight Tyson Fury in August. That’s not happening,” Hearn told reporters in England on Thursday, according to ESPN. “He’s not fighting Tyson Fury next. He’s going to come back, I believe, late summer, but physically he’s not yet in a position to return to camp.”
Hearn added that Joshua is preparing for potential upcoming events, saying the boxer plans to get back in the ring come July.
“I’m planning, but he’s just resting and preparing, Hearn added. “So, for me, I’m looking at options to get him back in the ring in July time, 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.”
As for the fight against Fury, Hearn said he doesn’t expect the two to face off until the end of this year at the earliest.
“I think every fight is dangerous, coming off what he’s come off,” he said. “We’re open to the Fury fight but probably more likely [near the] end of the year, maybe early 2027.”
Joshua spoke publicly for the first time since the crash last month and thanked people for their support, adding that he plans to fulfill his late friends’ dreams.
“What my goal is, is to continue to help them achieve their goals,” Joshua said. “Even though they may not be here in the physical, when I pray, I know spiritually they’re going to aid me through. It’s not just physical strength that will get me through. It’s going to take a lot.
“A lot of strength [is] from a higher power, so I’m definitely going to be saying my prayers, and I’m going to help them fulfill their dreams for their families.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: nypost.com
