Anthony Joshua is in possession of the contract for a highly anticipated showdown with Tyson Fury, but there's a possibility he may engage in a warm-up fight in July before facing his British counterpart in November. Fury has already put his signature on the long-awaited all-British mega-fight and has issued a fresh challenge to Joshua following his points victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday. Joshua has not committed to the Fury fight amidst speculation that he might take a warm-up bout in July, following his involvement in a serious car accident in Nigeria that resulted in the tragic deaths of his friends Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele in December.
Promoter Eddie Hearn stated, 'We received the contract last week, and we are reviewing it. Obviously, a lot has been happening in AJ's life, and 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 being to fight in March and then face Tyson Fury in August, but this has been delayed. There has been speculation that Joshua's July bout could be against Deontay Wilder, with Wilder welcoming a fight against the two-time world champion after his win over Derek Chisora. Hearn says they are exploring the possibility of AJ facing Wilder and then Fury 'back-to-back'.
Hearn added, 'I think it is very likely [he will have a tune-up fight]. Given what happened, we were supposed to be doing that anyway.
Fury has just had his tune-up fight with 12 really vital rounds to get him sharp for the next one, and I expect us to do the same.' Despite the plans Hearn and AJ's camp would like to get in place, those in Wilder's camp say that no discussions have taken place as of yet.