Joshua in Possession of Fury Fight Contract, but a July Warm-Up Bout May Precede

Anthony Joshua is in receipt of the contract for his highly anticipated clash with Tyson Fury, although a warm-up fight in July could potentially take place before the two British boxing rivals meet in November. Following his victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, Fury signed for the long-awaited all-British showdown and extended a fresh challenge to Joshua. However, Joshua did not commit to the Fury fight amidst speculation that he may participate in a warm-up bout in July, following his involvement in a serious car accident in Nigeria that tragically resulted in the deaths of his friends Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele in December. Promoter Eddie Hearn stated to Sky Sports, "We are reviewing the contract received last week, and while there have been significant events in AJ's life, we want to ensure he is ready for his ring return. He is nearing full clearance for physical training, which is great news. Originally, the plan was to fight in March and then face Fury in August, but given the circumstances, this has been delayed, and we are now considering July and November as potential dates. There has been speculation about Joshua's possible July opponent, with Deontay Wilder being a potential candidate. Hearn expressed that they are exploring the possibility of AJ facing Wilder and then Fury in consecutive fights, adding that a tune-up fight for Joshua is likely. Wilder's camp, however, claims that no discussions have taken place yet regarding a potential fight against Joshua.