Joshua Ready to Skip Tune-Up, But Fury’s Timeline Keeps Fight on Hold

Anthony Joshua is not the one slowing down a long-discussed heavyweight clash with Tyson Fury, according to promoter Eddie Hearn. Instead, the delay is being shaped by Fury’s extended absence from the ring and uncertainty over when he will be ready to fight again.

Hearn said Joshua would be willing to move straight into a Fury fight without another tune-up bout if the opportunity were available. The issue, he suggested, is that Fury is coming off more than a year of inactivity following his December 2024 loss to Oleksandr Usyk, making an early-2026 return unlikely.

Joshua boxed in December, stopping Jake Paul in the sixth round, a bout Hearn described as a stay-busy outing rather than essential preparation. With that fight behind him, Hearn indicated Joshua does not require additional activity before facing Fury.

“We would go straight into that fight, but we have had our run-out,” Hearn said to Fight Hub TV. “If Tyson was ready, we’d go straight in.”

Hearn acknowledged that Fury’s own layoff complicates the timeline and said both sides recognise the risk involved in the matchup.

“He’s been out for a year as well,” Hearn said. “He knows how dangerous the AJ fight is. If we have to fight again in February or March, we’ll do it. But we’ll also go straight into the fight.”

While Joshua’s December bout kept him active, it is not viewed as a traditional heavyweight preparation for a fight of Fury’s scale. Hearn has suggested that if Joshua does take another fight, it would likely be against a ranked heavyweight rather than another crossover opponent.

The Joshua-Fury matchup has been discussed publicly for several years without materialising, with timing, leverage, and form repeatedly cited as obstacles. Hearn said talks regarding a 2026 bout remain ongoing and are expected to involve Saudi backer Turki Alalshikh as discussions progress.

“We’re committed to that fight,” Hearn said. “We’ve been in conversations for a long time about what 2026 looks like.”

For now, Joshua’s position appears clear: he is prepared to fight Fury immediately, but the fight’s next steps depend on whether Fury is ready to return and commit to a defined schedule.