Anthony Joshua is “talking to opponents”, but time is running out to organize a last-gasp fight in 2025.
Joshua has been out of the ring for almost 14 months since suffering a shock fifth-round stoppage by fellow British heavyweight Daniel Dubois last September.
This hampered Joshua’s momentum under coach Ben Davison and his charge towards another world title, but Hearn revealed at the Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn II gala that an equalizer fight is expected and could even take place before the end of the year.
“We already have opponents with whom we have talked about the end of the fight,” said promoter Hearn.
“But the whole point is not to have to come in and do it [media obligations] and I don’t have to just relax, come in on Wednesday or Thursday, weigh myself, wrap up my arms and go and fight.
“And of course it has nothing to do with finances. It’s just about getting back into the rhythm of fighting.
“Because every time he fights, [Joshua] he has to go to the stadium and fight demanding in front of 60,000 people. It’s almost like you just go out and give me one so I can come back.”
Hearn set a deadline: “We will make a decision on Anthony’s next fight this week.”
The fight against YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul was highly publicized.
Paul previously told ESPN: “People tell me to fight someone my size. OK, how about fighting someone who’s bigger than me? His size makes it a tougher challenge than [Terence] Crawford. This is the most unsafe fight for me right now.”
While Hearn is open to fighting Paul, there is no offer on the table.
“No, we have had some discussions,” he confirmed.
“If we were going to get it, a matchup with Jake Paul would be pretty nice.
“I’m not sure [Paul] Is that crazy? Perhaps, but there is nothing of substance to report at this stage. But I know they will decide what they will do. Hearn insisted that if Joshua does step into the ring in 2025 for a low-key tune-up, it won’t be against a high-profile opponent.
“If he fights this year, you probably won’t even hear about it unless it’s Jake Paul,” he said.
Joshua’s defeat to Dubois ended a four-fight win streak following consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk.
With aged rival Tyson Fury set to resume his boxing career in 2026, the highly anticipated fight against Joshua is still a possibility for the duo.