LONDON – Promoter Eddie Hearn has revealed Anthony Joshua is enjoying life back in training camp, but there have been no discussions yet of a return to the ring.
The heavyweight Joshua was involved in a fatal car collision whilst taking some time off in Nigeria with two of his closest friends following his stoppage win over Jake Paul in December. The two friends Joshua was traveling with, Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami, were killed in the crash while Joshua suffered only minor physical injuries. All three men were passengers in the vehicle.
There was talk of Joshua returning to the ring in the spring prior to the accident in Nigeria, but those plans were put on hold. Joshua’s thoughts were understandably away from boxing, and there were doubts about whether he would return at all after such an ordeal.
Joshua then posted pictures of him hitting the mitts last month in the Middle East, where he resides. Many were hopeful that he would decide to fight again, and those thoughts were further fueled when Hearn confirmed to BoxingScene that Joshua would soon return to camp and that Matchroom was looking at a July date for the former two-time heavyweight champion.
Joshua returned to full-time training this week with coach Igor Golub, posting pictures of himself with former opponent and unified champion Oleksandr Usyk. The pair were seen laughing, joking, swinging kettlebells and even embracing the culture in Usyk’s native Ukraine. Hearn, Joshua’s long-time promoter and friend, will be visiting the fighter on Monday.
“He's had a great few days. That's how long he's been in camp, and no decisions yet about when a return will be,” Hearn told BoxingScene. “I think July is a sensible month to target. We’ve still got to get some clearance from some doctors on his development, but he feels good. I spoke to Joshua last night, and this morning he said, ‘I've had a great week. I feel amazing.’ That was his words: ‘I feel amazing.’
“So it's brilliant to see him. … It's really his happy place being in camp. Really shouldn't be, because if you see how hard they work out there, it shouldn't be anyone's happy place, but that's just how they are as fighters. I think he's really happy to be back in that routine, and we'll start planning his next fight very soon.”
The images of Joshua back in camp started speculation about a return and who it could be against. Joshua’s former rival Dillian Whyte was a name that seemed to gain some traction on social media, with some outlets reporting the fight was a done deal.
“Absolutely no truth at all. Not one conversation about Dillian Whyte,” said Hearn of the rumors. “By the way, I don't rule out Dillian Whyte, but absolutely never been mentioned in a conversation with me and AJ, and there's no negotiations – nothing at all.”
Tom Ivers is a lifelong fight fan and former amateur boxer who has a master’s degree in sports journalism. Tom joined BoxingScene in 2024 and is now a key part of the UK and social media teams.
