Anthony Joshua could fight twice in the space of three months following a lengthy spell away from the ring.
AJ hasn’t stepped between the ropes since his devastating knockout loss to Daniel Dubois in September 2024.
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AJ was knocked out by Dubois in September 2024Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom
Surgery on a lingering elbow injury has kept him on the sidelines for the last 13 months.
However, conversations around his imminent return are now underway.
Eddie Hearn and Joshua met in Dubai last month to discuss the former world heavyweight champion’s options for his next fight.
They are currently looking at stadium shows in February, although Joshua could also have a ‘run out’ on an undercard before then.
“There is a chance he could run out this year,” Hearn told iFL TV.
“It’s probably unlikely. But he’s ready to fight, and he’s in camp.
“We are not going to put him in a headline event this year.
“So if he wants to get out in a lower-key fight [we can do that].
“You’ve got to remember he last fought over a year ago.
“Every time he fights, he needs to go into a stadium, fill it up and fight so-and-so.
“There is a part of him that goes, ‘I’d just like to get in there. I don’t need all the razzmatazz. Just let me go in there and wrap my hands and crunch someone’.
“We don’t need the money, we need preparation to be the best we can be, and if we feel that run out is going to put us in good stead for February, which won’t be an easy fight.
“And more importantly, it will gear us up to be the best we can be to hopefully fight Tyson Fury.”
When did Anthony Joshua last fight on an undercard?
Joshua hasn’t fought on an undercard since May 2015, when he blasted away Kevin Johnson on the Kell Brook vs Frankie Gavin bill at the O2 Arena.
Matchroom have multiple December shows that have either already been announced or are on the verge of being made official.
On December 6, Hearn’s promotional outfit returns to Monte-Carlo, Monaco, for a bill headlined by Shabaz Masoud vs Peter McGrail, while rising star Giorgio Visioli is set to top a yet-to-be-confirmed show one week before Christmas.
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Hearn insists Joshua will return in a stadium in February, but could box before thenCredit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom
There is also expected to be an event in Africa before the end of the year.
Joshua’s handlers are currently fielding offers from Ghana and Nigeria for his next fight.
But most of those talks have centred around a 2026 date.