Eddie Hearn lays out Anthony Joshua plans with Tyson Fury double-header mooted ahead of retirement

Eddie Hearn has revealed that Anthony Joshua is making good progress in his post-surgery rehabilitation and is expecting to see the two-time heavyweight champion of the world back in action later this year ahead of a blockbuster 2026.

The Watford star recently went under the knife to fix a long-standing elbow issue which has kept his out of action since his loss to Daniel Dubois last September.

AJ had previously hoped to make an in-ring return during the spring to dust off the cobwebs of his heavy defeat at the hands of the IBF world champion, but has instead been forced to endure a sustained spell on the sidelines.

However, Matchroom promoter Hearn has delivered positive news on Joshua's return, confirming his fighter is back in full training and eyeing up potential opponents ahead of an expected October or November fight.

"Anthony Joshua will return,” Hearn said on DAZN's Ariel X Ade show.

I had a lengthy conversation with his team. He’s now back in the groove of starting to think about locking in a date in 2025, so October, November, December - that will be AJ’s next fight. We look forward to a big end to the year.

- Eddie Hearn (DAZN's Ariel x Ade Show)

A number of opponents have previously been speculated, including former foe Dillian Whyte.

Joshua and 'The Bodysnatcher' have previously squared-off twice before, of course, with AJ reigning supreme on each occasion, but it had seemed a trilogy affair could well have been on the cards for the winter.

However, despite Hearn confirming that a clash with Whyte was once a possibility, he says that showdown is now off the cards with the former world title challenger set to tackle Moses Itauma instead.

"Dillian Whyte was probably the front-runner, to be honest,” Hearn added.

"It looks like he’s going to fight Moses [Itauma] so that was a curveball, but there are plenty of other options out there.

"Jared Anderson’s been mentioned. Obviously, Deontay Wilder’s back soon. I think AJ would have been out of the ring just over a year by the time he steps back into the ring and will be coming off surgery.

I don’t think Tyson Fury is going to be ready to fight around that time anyway but I expect it to be someone that will gear him up for a really big fight in 2026.

- Eddie Hearn (DAZN's Ariel x Ade Show)

Despite Fury's stance that he will remain in boxing retirement, the expectation is that the Gypsy King would undertake a sensational return if the price for a clash with Joshua was right.

Turki Alalshikh is just one of many to have voiced his desire to see the two British rivals finally collide, and whilst Hearn is unsure as to whether the fight will in fact happen, he feels a double-header against the lineal champion of the world would provide Joshua a fitting boxing farewell.

"2026 will probably be his last year in the sport, and retirement is probably three fights away," he said.

"If I’m advising AJ, we’re back this year and then we have two Tyson Fury fights. What else is there to do? Maybe fight Daniel Dubois? For me once AJ fights Tyson Fury he’s kind of done it all.

"I’d love him to have another crack at Dubois and I’d love him to have another crack at Usyk but you just go on and on and on.

"Now if we get to next year and he’s still firing on all cylinders then 2026 won’t be his last year, but for me something feels right about coming back this year, beating Tyson Fury twice and then sailing off into the sunset."