EDDIE HEARN has revealed the new timeline for Anthony Joshua’s do-or-die ring return.
AJ was on course for a rematch with Brit rival Daniel Dubois on February 22 before his team convinced him to recover from niggling injuries.
And long-time promoter Hearn believes the Watford warrior will be back in the ring by early summer at the latest.
The Matchroom Boxing chief told ProBoxing Fans: “He still wants to fight him, and AJ will be back in May or June.
“And it could be against Daniel Dubois. It’s still the biggest fight for Dubois”.
Joshua, 35, suffered a crushing fifth-round KO loss to Dubois in their September shootout for the IBF heavyweight title at Wembley.
AJ was champing at the bit to exact his revenge on ‘Triple D’ before being told to rest his body.
But Hearn won’t plot the Olympian’s move until after Tyson Fury‘s unified heavyweight title rematch with Oleksandr Usyk next month.
He told DAZN: “It could be the Dubois rematch but it won’t be on February 22nd.”
”I think we have to see how December 21st unfolds (Usyk-Fury II) and then make a decision after that.
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“Expect to see AJ in a ring next May or June.”
Hearn doesn’t want to jump the gun by putting AJ in a rematch with Dubois while a potentially historic showdown with Fury – which has twice been on the brink of coming to fruition – is still a possibility.
The 45-year-old said: “It would be frustrating if we made the Dubois rematch and Fury won.
“Then we’re sitting there going, ‘Hang on a minute, we’re fighting Dubois.
“‘But we could have fought Fury in May for the biggest fight in boxing.’
“Win or lose, we can fight Fury next summer. But if he wins, AJ fights him for the world title.”
Defeat to Dubois sparked calls for former two-time unified heavyweight champion Joshua to call time on his career.
The golden boy of British boxing, however, has vowed to continue rolling “the dice” in his pursuit of undisputed glory.
But Hearn admits AJ could hang up his gloves within the next YEAR.
He told The Times: “This could be [Joshua’s] last year in the sport.”
