Anthony Joshua has been the poster boy of British boxing for the last decade but he now appears to have entered his twilight years, with a devastating knockout loss preventing ‘AJ’ from becoming boxing’s fifth three-time heavyweight champion.
As some call for Joshua to hang up the gloves, his promoter Eddie Hearn has declared when the 35-year-old will return to action.
The London 2012 gold medallist lost his heavyweight titles for a second time when he was defeated by Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and was then unable to reclaim them in the rematch.
Unconvincing performances against Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius followed, encouraging Joshua to appoint a fifth different trainer within two years, this time working under Tyson Fury’s former cornerman, Ben Davison.
However, despite fears that Joshua’s time at the top was coming to a close, Davison was able to bring the best out of Joshua and the pair soon turned a corner with impressive knockout wins over Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou – which lined ‘AJ’ up for a shot at the IBF heavyweight title against Daniel Dubois.
In the headline attraction of a record-breaking event under the famous Wembley arch, the experienced knockout-artist was expected to dispatch of his countryman with relative ease.
Although, it was instead Dubois who was able to shake up the heavyweight division and score an emphatic and disorientating stoppage victory.
In the weeks that followed that damning September defeat, Anthony Joshua and Eddie Hearn have maintained their interest an immediate rematch with Dubois, regardless of the one-sided beatdown.
Yet, the scheduled date of February 22nd has come too soon for the two-time champion, and he has now been officially ruled out through injuries sustained in their first encounter.
Consequently, many are questioning whether or when the Watford-born heavyweight will make his ring return and one fan quizzed Eddie Hearn on the subject on Instagram, whilst sharing his concern that Joshua is at his best when he is active.
In response, Matchroom promoter Hearn offered an encouraging reply, revealing that Joshua will return in the summer of 2025.
“He had 5 fights in 18 months, he will be fine. Back in the summer.”
In terms of whom may be in the opposing corner for Joshua’s return, the long-awaited showdown with Tyson Fury will remain as a lucrative proposal and could well be on the cards if ‘The Gypsy King’ suffers a second consecutive defeat to Oleksandr Usyk next month.
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