Anthony Joshua reveals he needs surgery before he can return to the ring
4 May 2025, 14:02
Anthony Joshua has said he needs elbow surgery later this month, further delaying his return to boxing.
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The incoming surgery this month will prevent the 35-year-old former heavyweight champion from training for another eight weeks.
The surgery will place further delays on a prospective fight between Joshua and his rival Tyson Fury, which both fans and Joshua have called for.
“I’m trying to get my body right,” Joshua has said. “I’ve got to have a little surgery on my elbow. A small surgery, sometime in May.”
“I’m finalising the details. It will see me out of the gym for six to eight weeks, and as soon as I’ve healed I’ll be back.”
Joshua hasn’t fought since September last year, when he suffered a knockout in a five-round match against gold-medal Olympian Daniel Dubois.
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Fans have waited to see what Joshua’s next move would be after the loss, but no plans had been officially announced.
Promoter Eddie Hearn had said in March that Joshua was “not ready to start camp” yet, and hinted at a necessary recovery period from an injury.
This is not the first time Joshua has had to rebuild after a defeat. The boxer had lost twice to Ukrainian fighter Oleksandr Usyk, but quickly built up a three-win streak in his recovery.
The streak ended when he faced Dubois in September.
Joshua had rebuilt after losing twice to Oleksandr Usyk by reeling off three successive wins, only to be knocked out by Dubois in a one-sided clash that led to calls for the London 2012 gold medal winner to retire.
