Anthony Joshua will return in January, with Tyson Fury still the target

In that same interview Hearn confirmed that Joshua would not be returning to the ring until 2026 and said that his next fight would have to be chosen “carefully”. It will not, for instance, involve Tyson Fury, or indeed anyone who could possibly capitalise on either Joshua’s dented self-belief or his persistent injury problems. Instead, one immediately imagines someone like Jake Paul, fresh from his little Netflix exhibition with Gervonta Davis in November, opposing Joshua in the first quarter of next year and playing the same role Francis Ngannou played for Joshua back in 2023. Or, if thinking heavyweight, and more seriously, maybe the rumours of Tony Yoka as a potential opponent will resurface once Joshua is ready to go again. “A defeat now, at this stage of his career, would be devastating,” Hearn conceded, hence why both the timing and the opponent must be just right.