Former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua appears eager to return to the ring. However, his most talked-about potential opponent, former WBC champion Tyson Fury, doesn’t seem interested in making the fight happen. As a result, Team AJ is being forced to explore other options. And one name gaining serious traction is that of another former world champion. Who, you ask?

It’s none other than Deontay Wilder. ‘The Bronze Bomber’ is set to make his long-awaited return after more than a year out of action, following a brutal fifth-round knockout loss to Zhilei Zhang. The 39-year-old, who has struggled to regain momentum since back-to-back defeats to Tyson Fury, will face 24-5 Tyrrell Anthony Herndon of San Antonio, Texas. With Wilder’s return lined up, the big question remains: when will Anthony Joshua step back into the spotlight? It seems his new trainer may have just revealed that answer.

Just a few hours ago, Stomping Ground shared an Instagram post with the caption that read: “Ben Davison provides an update on Anthony Joshua’s recovery and rehabilitation, as fans await Joshua’s next move in boxing.” Davison, who has been in Anthony Joshua’s corner since his September 29 bout with Daniel ‘Dynamite’ Dubois, is well-acquainted with the hand injury AJ sustained in that fight. So, what did he have to say?

Speaking on the 28-4 boxer’s condition, Davison said, “Yeah, it won’t be right at the minute like as you said, he had an open operation on his elbow he is going to the process of the recovery.” However, he admitted he isn’t certain when the former heavyweight champion will be ready to return to the ring.

“The rehabilitation that’s not something that I take control of or look over,” Davison explained. “He’s got a team that look after that sort of staff and I suppose towards the back end of the year, it would be more likely, I imagine.” While Anthony Joshua himself has yet to confirm a specific timeline, both his trainer and promoter seem aligned in expecting a return later this year.

Eddie Hearn drops worrying news on Anthony Joshua’s return

As far as Anthony Joshua’s next fight is concerned, the picture remains murky. While Tyson Fury has repeatedly denied any plans to reverse his retirement, a long-awaited clash with Deontay Wilder still lingers as a possibility. However, according to Anthony Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, even that option is far from certain. In a recent interview with Boxing Social, the British promoter admitted that Joshua’s future remains unclear for now.

“Honestly? Nowhere,” Hearn said when asked about Anthony Joshua’s next step. “Training camp not ready to start but close. We had a conversation the other day, and I said to him ‘You need to let me know when you’d be ready by.’ And that was end of October, but happy to fight in November or December.”

Hearn further revealed that the 35-year-old is expected to fight only once this year. And when asked who the opponent might be, he didn’t hesitate to say, “I have absolutely no idea.” Names like Dillian Whyte and Jared Anderson had previously surfaced, but Whyte is now set to face rising prospect Moses Itauma on August 16. Meanwhile, there have been no concrete updates regarding Anderson.

Hearn also pointed out that they’re keeping a keen eye on the upcoming showdown on July 19th between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois, two fighters who have already taken down Joshua. The heavyweight’s return is still a matter of playing the waiting game. While Hearn has dropped hints that 2026 might be Anthony Joshua’s swan song in the ring, the identity of his opponent for that one fight in 2025 remains under wraps. Even though Wilder is still in the mix, Hearn seems fired up for a classic all-British clash with Fury. So, who do you think is the next contender for Anthony Joshua?