Anthony Joshua is in possession of the contract for his highly anticipated showdown with Tyson Fury, although he may opt for a warm-up fight in July before clashing with his British rival in November. Fury has already put his signature on the contract for the eagerly awaited all-British super 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 might take a warm-up bout in July, after being involved in a severe car accident in Nigeria that tragically resulted in the deaths of his friends Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele in December. Promoter Eddie Hearn stated, "We are reviewing the contract we received last week, and we want to ensure AJ is ready to return to the ring, considering the recent events in his life." 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, and Hearn says they are exploring the possibility of AJ facing Wilder and then Fury 'back-to-back'. Hearn believes it is likely that Joshua will have a tune-up fight, given the circumstances, and that Fury has just had his own tune-up fight to get him sharp for the next one. Wilder's camp, however, claims that no discussions have taken place regarding a potential fight.