Anthony Joshua has suffered a fresh injury blow as he looks to return to a professional boxing ring in 2025.
The two-time world heavyweight champion has not fought since failing in his bid to become a three-time champion when he was blasted out inside five rounds by Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium last September.
AJ has spent the first part of 2025 rehabbing an injury to the upper part of his body, and recently all appeared to be on track for a fight in August or September with promoter Eddie Hearn revealing that was the likely plan.
AJ reveals injury update
But now we need to hold that though with AJ revealing that he has surgery planned on an elbow surgery, which will keep him out of the gym for another 6-8 weeks. That would likely mean him returning to action in the final quarter of 2025 at the earliest.
Speaking ringside at Saturday’s Canelo Alvarez vs William Scull show in Saudi Arabia, AJ told DAZN: “I’m trying to get my body right. I’ve got to have actually a little surgery on my elbow – a small surgery – some time in May, finalise the details. Which will see me out of the gym for maybe 6 to 8 weeks, and then as soon as I’m healed, I’ll be back.
Who will Joshua fight next?
The subject of Joshua’s next opponent is of course a hot topic, with the 35-year-old British superstar (28-4) still one of the biggest box-office draws in the fight game.
We recently gave you three potentials that we’d love to see AJ fight, but of course the obvious one remains his great domestic rival Tyson Fury.
Despite the near misses down the years (they actually signed to fight in 2021 before Deontay Wilder won an arbitration ruling to force a trilogy fight vs Fury) they have yet to meet in a boxing ring.
The other big blocker of course is that Fury (34-2-1) – for now – is happily retired from the sport. Speculation about a ‘Gypsy King’ comeback though ramped up last week when he released a video with trainer Sugar Hill Stewart that strongly suggested a return is on the cards.
As of now neither man holds a world heavyweight title – they are currently held by Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois. Those two meet in an undisputed showdown at Wembley Stadium on Saturday July 19.
