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Eddie Hearn: Anthony Joshua’s Surprise 2025 Return Is '50–50,' Ready on Two Weeks’ Notice

Originally posted on Dice City Sports | By Robert LaMar | Last updated Oct 23, 2025 11:30 AM ET

LONDON — Anthony Joshua could still fight before the end of 2025, with promoter Eddie Hearn rating the chances at “50–50” and saying the two-time heavyweight champion is willing to jump in on two weeks’ notice potentially on an undercard to sharpen up for a major bout in early 2026.

Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) hasn’t boxed since his knockout loss to Daniel Dubois at Wembley in September 2024 and recently slipped out of The Ring’s heavyweight rankings after more than a year of inactivity. Talks for a 2025 fight with Jake Paul fizzled when Paul pivoted to Gervonta Davis, leading many to assume AJ would sit out the year.

Possible Landing Spots

Hearn floated several options that would break from the usual AJ stadium spectacle and get him “in the flow” again:

Dec. 13, Stockton, California (Matchroom)
Dec. 27, Riyadh — “Night of the Samurai” (The Ring), headlined by Naoya Inoue
A November U.S. show if logistics align

Hearn joked that Joshua even suggested sneaking onto a Mexico card, but “I can’t really hide you walking around Tijuana.”

Undercard AJ? The Strategic Pivot

Anthony Joshua's next fight could take place on an undercard in December, Eddie Hearn has revealed to The Ring.

AJ hasn’t fought on an undercard since his stoppage win against Kevin Johnson over ten years ago in 2015. pic.twitter.com/41AsIA2I6n

— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) October 22, 2025

“Every time Joshua fights it’s a massive occasion… But if he goes on an undercard somewhere, it gives him a chance to get in the flow again and it would be very beneficial to his career,” Hearn said.

“It might not even be something we announce weeks and weeks before… He is in the gym and staying ready so we could say, ‘you’re out in two weeks in an eight-rounder.’”

An eight-round tune-up would be Joshua’s shortest scheduled distance in a decade and a rare non-headliner slot part of what Hearn calls “the last roll of the dice” phase, with a targeted Q1 2026 marquee fight.

Personally I don’t see Joshua fighting in a venue in California that’s not in Los Angeles or in the Bay Area. Nevertheless it’s still intriguing to think that it could be a possibility that Joshua could make his West Coast debut way sooner than later.

This article first appeared on Dice City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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