Anthony Joshua is in possession of the contract for his highly anticipated showdown with Tyson Fury, but may first participate in a warm-up fight in July before facing his British counterpart in November. Fury has already signed on for the long-awaited all-British mega fight and recently issued a fresh challenge to Joshua following his points victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Joshua has yet to commit to the Fury fight, amidst speculation that he may take a warm-up bout in July, after being involved in a serious car accident in Nigeria that resulted in the tragic deaths of his friends. Promoter Eddie Hearn stated, 'We received the contract last week and are reviewing it. Given the recent events in AJ's life, we want to ensure he is ready to return to the ring.' Hearn expects to see Joshua back in the ring in July, with the original plan to fight in March and then face Fury in August having been delayed. There is speculation that Joshua's July bout could be against Deontay Wilder, with Hearn expressing interest in AJ facing Wilder and then Fury 'back-to-back'.