TWO-TIME unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is scheduled to undergo elbow surgery later this month.
The 35-year-old was in Riyadh last night, attending The Venue Riyadh Season, where Canelo Alvarez secured the undisputed super middleweight title for the second time with a lacklustre victory over William Scull.
During an undercard bout featuring WBC cruiserweight champion Badou Jack and former titleholder Norair Mikaeljan, DAZN reporter Claudio Trejos spoke with ‘AJ’ about his return to the ring. Joshua said with a smile, “When do you want me back, people? I’m working to get my body right. I’m having minor surgery on my elbow sometime in May – we’re finalising details. It’ll keep me out of the gym for six to eight weeks, but once I’m healed, I’ll be back doing what I do best: working on my double jabs, triple jabs, head movement, and footwork. We’ll stay active.”
It has been eight months since Joshua’s last fight, a humbling fifth-round knockout loss to IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois. The defeat dashed the former Olympic gold medallist’s hopes of becoming a three-time champion, a feat achieved by boxing greats Muhammad Ali, Lennox Lewis, and Evander Holyfield.
While Joshua, 28-4 (25 KOs), prepares for surgery, his former opponents Daniel Dubois and Oleksandr Usyk are set to clash on July 19 at Wembley Stadium to determine the next undisputed heavyweight champion. Meanwhile, Joshua’s biggest rival, Tyson Fury, has hinted at a potential comeback despite announcing his retirement earlier this year. Fans eager to see Joshua return will likely have to wait until later in 2025.
