Revealed: When Anthony Joshua plans to return to boxing after dying of two shut mates in automotive crash, as Eddie Hearn provides replace on combat with Tyson Fury
Anthony Joshua is targeting a return to boxing in July, his promoter Eddie Hearn has revealed, following the car crash that killed two of his closest friends.
Joshua’s long-time strength coach Sina Ghami and his personal trainer Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele were killed in a road traffic collision near Lagos in December.
The former heavyweight world champion spent New Year in hospital before flying home.
The crash, which occurred less than two weeks after Joshua knocked out Jake Paul in the sixth round in Miami, had led to doubts over his future in the sport.
Joshua’s next bout was expected to be with the returning Tyson Fury, who is now set to fight Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 11. Joshua’s promoter Hearn told BoxingScene that he could return in July, but will not be fighting Fury.
‘Originally, the plan with AJ was for him to fight in March and then fight Tyson Fury in August. That’s not happening. He’s not fighting Tyson Fury next,’ Hearn said.
Eddie Hearn (right) has said that Anthony Joshua (left) could return to boxing in the summer
Joshua has not fought since beating Jake Paul in December, which came two weeks prior to the car crash which killed two of his closest friends in Nigeria
‘He’s going to come back, I believe, in late summer, but physically he’s not yet in a position to return to camp.
‘So, I’m planning, but he’s just resting and preparing. 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.
While Fury will no longer be Joshua’s comeback fight, Hearn didn’t rule out the prospect of the two British heavyweight legends getting in the ring in the future.
‘Every fight’s dangerous coming off what he has come off. Hearn continued. ‘We’re open to the Tyson Fury fight, but probably that’s more likely end of the year – maybe early 2027.’
Fury is gearing to come out of retirement for the fifth time, when he steps out to take on knockout artist Makhmudov, and he explained that the tragic accident Joshua was involved influenced his decision to return to the ring.
Fury said: ‘The biggest turning point in this comeback for me was the tragedy that happened with Anthony Joshua. I was on holiday in Thailand with my family for Christmas, just to get away from the rain.
‘I hear all that bad news that’s gone on and I thought, you know what, life is very short, very precious and very fragile.
Joshua pictured with friends Latif Ayodele (centre) and Sina Ghami who both died in a crash
Hearn confirmed that Joshua’s potential fight with Tyson Fury won’t happen until 2027
‘Anything could happen at any given moment and you should never put things off until tomorrow, or the next year or next week, because tomorrow is not promised to nobody.
‘Tomorrow is a mystery, we have to live for today. And me living for that day, I made my mind up there and then that I’m going to come back to boxing – because it’s something that I love, I’m passionate about and that I’ve always been in love with.
‘There is no tomorrow to put it off to, so that’s why I’m back today for this big fight.’
