Anthony Joshua is scheduled to undergo elbow surgery THIS WEEK, as discussions for a long-awaited fight with “big tease” Tyson Fury draw closer.
Joshua, 35, has not yet returned to the ring since his knockout loss to Daniel Dubois, 27, in September, with an undisclosed injury delaying his comeback.
AJ has since disclosed that the issue stemmed from an elbow injury, which promoter Eddie Hearn revealed is scheduled to be addressed this week.
Hearn told SunSport: “He just goes back into camp and just can`t fire on all cylinders consistently. So he can go back, have a couple of sessions, bit of soreness in the elbow. They tried to let it rest and recover and they`ve told him that I think it`s this week, he has a small keyhole surgery on his arm. A clear out, and it`s four-six weeks, he`s good to go. So I think we`re looking post-September.”
Following Joshua`s loss and Fury`s two defeats to Oleksandr Usyk, 38, last year, the stage was set for the defeated Britons to finally settle their long-awaited rivalry.
That was until Fury announced a surprising retirement – the fourth of his career – in January, just one month after Usyk won their rematch.
However, the unpredictable Gypsy King has since broken his social media silence, starting to hint at a comeback, which has made Hearn optimistic.
The promoter stated: “Tyson Fury is a big tease; every day I open up Instagram, like today, and he`s got his wraps on saying he`s done 12 rounds. He looks super fit, Tyson Fury, he looks like he`s ready to go now! Which is encouraging, but honestly, the delay AJ is experiencing is probably a blessing. One, you`ve got Usyk against Dubois coming up, so that gives you a little bit of time. And number two, you`ve got Tyson Fury who could potentially come back to the ring, so it`s going to be interesting to see how things unfold.”
Turki Alalshikh`s entry into boxing and his significant Saudi investments have helped bridge the gap between Hearn and his long-standing rival, Frank Warren.
The previously adversarial promoters now even share the sports streaming platform DAZN, paving the way for potential discussions between AJ and Fury.
Hearn admitted: “I`d be lying if I said we haven`t discussed it informally, because obviously everyone is desperate to make it happen. But, no one has said, `Oh, I think it`s coming, I think he`s coming back.` But at the same time, he`s training. And I feel like with Tyson Fury over the years, you`ve seen him not training and balloon out of shape, and then it takes him a long time to come back. Now it looks like he`s either ready to fight or he`s ready to begin camp, which is hugely encouraging. But I just don`t think he`ll be able to leave it alone, if I`m honest with you. Because, the money is one thing, but just the occasion and the challenge, and he`s a competitor, he`s a winner. And I just can`t believe he`s going to let it slide.”
While Fury remains the primary target for Joshua and his team, Hearn cautioned that they will await the outcome of Dubois` rematch with Usyk at Wembley on July 19th.
Hearn is confident that AJ will fight before the year concludes – whether against Fury or someone else.
He cautioned: “In the next couple of months, if there is no progress, we will schedule a fight. I mean, there is no way AJ is not fighting this year. So who will that opponent be? I cannot tell you. That is the million-dollar question always, but I think more importantly is, do we get any news from Fury in the next four, six, or eight weeks? If we do, we will fight him this year. If not, we will fight someone else, and then perhaps he comes back next year, who knows? But I would be lying if I said we weren`t eager to see him return. However, at the same time, we cannot simply wait around to see what happens.”
Oliver Croft