ANTHONY JOSHUA is reportedly returning to training this week in a fresh hint that he will be returning to the ring before December.
Former unified heavyweight champion AJ hasn’t set foot in the ring since his scrappy points win over Jermaine Franklin last month.
We revealed this week that the 33-year-old’s long-awaited showdown with Deontay Wilder is on the verge of being finalised.
His promoter Eddie Hearn has stated that he would like the Watford warrior to take another warm-up fight before throwing down with the former WBC king.
An all-British clash with Dillian Whyte has been mooted – and now it seems that Joshua is about to start preparing for a fight camp before the bumper bout with the Bronze Bomber.
Journalist Dan Rafael took to Twitter to reveal to his followers that he had spoken to AJ’s trainer Derrick James.
And he says that he informed him that Joshua is “due back in gym” on Friday.
Talks over his long overdue grudge match with Wilder – which is on course to land in Saudi Arabia this winter – began in April.
Unlike their first round of negotiations five years ago, this time discussions between both camps have gone swimmingly – so much so that Wilder’s head coach – Malik Scott – expects an imminent announcement.
Joshua and Wilder’s long-awaited meeting is set to be part of a four-man tournament involving Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.
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And Scott has also claimed that the December dust-ups will take place on the SAME night.
Matchroom Boxing chief said: “If they [the Saudis] can’t get [Tyson] Fury-Usyk over the line, they will still do AJ vs. Wilder.
“You hit the numbers that we want, and then we work backward on that for the August fight that he [Joshua] will be having.
“We all believe he needs that fight in August and more time with [trainer] Derrick James, more preparation for Deontay Wilder, and then that’s it.
“Who we choose will be dependent on if we get that Wilder deal done.
“I like the Dillian Whyte fight [for Joshua]. Whether he gets the Wilder fight done or not, I like that fight.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
