Anthony Joshua Planning Mid-2026 Return, But Not Against Tyson Fury

Despite having his life turned upside down at the start of 2026, Anthony Joshua plans to fight at least once before the end of the year.

Before he fought Paul, Joshua had agreed to fight Tyson Fury under the Riyadh Season banner sometime in 2026. Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn, confirmed that the fight is no longer on the table, but he is working on getting the 36-year-old a fight at the end of the summer.

"Originally, the plan with 'AJ' was for him to fight in March and then fight Tyson Fury in August," Hearn said, via Boxing Scene. "That's not happening. He's not fighting Tyson Fury next. He's going to come back, I believe, in late summer, but physically, he's not yet in a position to return to camp... I'm looking at options to get him back in the ring in July, 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."

Hearn added that the Fury fight is still on the table, but it will not be in August.

Joshua's entire boxing future became uncertain after he was involved in a deadly car crash that killed two close friends, Latif 'Latz' Ayodele and Sina Ghami. In his initial statement after the crash, Joshua stated that his primary goal for the rest of his life is to continue his friends' legacies.

Fans wondered if Joshua would ever fight again after the crash, but he was seen back in the gym shortly after being released from the hospital. However, as Hearn noted, training and being in a fight camp are two different feats.

If Joshua does return in the summer, he has not yet been linked to an opponent.

Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua falls apart yet again

After years of failed, half-hearted negotiations, the long-awaited Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua matchup finally seemed to be happening in 2026. Instead, it now appears to be further from fruition than ever.

Fury has already moved on from the matchup and is prepared to face Arslanbek Makhmudov in April. 'The Gypsy King' does not appear to have Joshua in his sights anymore, stating his desire for a trilogy bout with Oleksandr Usyk if he beats Makhmudov.

The Fury-Joshua fight is always on the table with Turki Alalshikh in the picture, but it is likely the last thing on Joshua's mind.

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