Anthony Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has confirmed that the former two-time heavyweight champion will step back into the ring in 2025, signaling his commitment to continue his illustrious boxing career despite recent challenges.
The announcement follows Joshua’s stunning defeat to Daniel Dubois in March 2024, a setback that disrupted his quest to reclaim heavyweight dominance. The 35-year-old British-Nigerian fighter now faces a pivotal juncture as he plots his next move.
“Anthony loves boxing; he’d fight forever if he could,” Hearn remarked, dispelling speculation that Joshua might retire after the Dubois loss.
Joshua’s 2023 resurgence saw him secure four consecutive victories, including a memorable first-round knockout of Francis Ngannou. However, the fight against Dubois proved to be a significant stumbling block, forcing Joshua to take a step back and reassess his path forward.
Hearn explained that Joshua would take time to recover and refocus, with plans to resume training in January 2025. “Anthony needs to recharge after fighting four times in under a year. He’ll be back in the ring by April or May, ready for a major fight,” he said.
Unlike previous rebuilding phases, Joshua’s return won’t include warm-up fights. Hearn emphasized, “At this stage, Anthony doesn’t need tune-ups. It’s all about making the big fights happen.”
This approach marks a shift from Joshua’s strategy after back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and 2022, when he faced lower-ranked opponents to regain confidence. With time against him, the focus now is on high-stakes matchups.
Joshua remains one of boxing’s biggest stars, drawing massive crowds and pay-per-view audiences. His next opponents will likely depend on the outcomes of Tyson Fury’s unification bout with Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois’ February title defense.
As Hearn and Joshua’s team chart his comeback, the heavyweight division eagerly anticipates the return of one of its most electrifying figures.
