Joshua Eyes Late‑2025 Return on Three Dates

Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed Anthony Joshua will return before the end of 2025 on one of three Matchroom dates — Nov. 15, Dec. 13 or Dec. 27, 2025 — though his opponent remains unknown. Hearn says the comeback will be a short “development” undercard fight to get Joshua “100% ready” for a 2026 “big gamble,” widely understood to be a potential showdown with Tyson Fury, rather than a headline pay‑per‑view. AJ has been inactive since his September 2024 knockout by Daniel Dubois and is recovering from surgery; if he misses 2025 it would be the first full year out in his 12‑year professional career, and he has been removed from some heavyweight rankings. Names linked as possible opponents include Jake Paul, Martin Bakole and Tony Yoka, and Hearn says he contacted promoter Nakisa Bidarian to offer Joshua as a replacement when Paul’s proposed fight with Gervonta Davis was jeopardized by legal allegations. Fury is publicly focused on retirement and Netflix projects, but Hearn still frames a 2026 “battle of Britain” against Fury as the ultimate target while opting for a low‑risk comeback for Joshua this year.