Anthony Joshua may return to the ring sooner rather than later, according to Matchroom chairman Eddie Hearn, potentially fulfilling Hearn’s earlier conviction that Joshua would be fighting three times in 2023. Joshua’s most recent fight was on August 12th, where he secured a knockout victory over Robert Helenius. Furthermore, the anticipated second-generation bout between Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn, which represents a continuation of the rivalry between their fathers, might also take place early next year, as Hearn revealed in a recent interview.
Appearing on the sports reporter Ariel Helwani’s show, MMAFightingonSBN, Eddie Hearn expressed confidence that Anthony Joshua (26-3, 23 KO’s) might fight sooner than previously expected.
“There is a chance AJ [Anthony Joshua] could fight on December 23rd,” Hearn confirmed. “So we’ll see.“
When asked about Joshua’s potential opponent, Hearn admitted that he did not know yet, ruling out Deontay Wilder (43-2-1, 42 KO’s) as a prospective opponent. Wilder has been linked to a fight with Joshua for several years, but such a matchup has yet to materialize, even though there were increased rumors of the bout happening this year until an official Saudi government official debunked these rumors.
Interestingly, December 23rd was initially proposed as a date for the highly anticipated heavyweight undisputed match between Tyson Fury (34-0-1, 24 KO’s) and Oleksandr Usyk (21-0, 14 KO’s). However, this no longer appears likely following Fury’s match on October 28th against Francis Ngannou (0-1, 0 KO’s), during which Fury sustained a significant amount of damage.
Approximately two weeks ago, Eddie Hearn revealed a list of potential opponents for Joshua, including heavyweight contenders Filip Hrgovic (16-0, 13 KO’s), Agit Kabayel (23-0, 15 KO’s), and Otto Wallin (26-1, 14 KO’s). Speculatively, Anthony Joshua will face one of these three opponents if he fights in December.
The potential bout between Chris Eubank Jr. (33-3, 24 KO’s) and Conor Benn (22-0, 14 KO’s) has been the subject of numerous rumors, and Hearn even indicated that the fight could take place in the UK early next year.
“You’re going to see that fight in the UK, in January,” Hearn stated during the interview, and he had previously suggested that the fight might occur in mid- or late January.
While Eddie Hearn appears confident that Eubank and Benn will follow in their fathers’ footsteps, there is still a pending case involving UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) and the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) challenging the National Anti-Doping Panel’s (NADP) decision to clear Benn of intentional doping use.
Benn has been involved in a scandal related to testing positive for clomiphene on two occasions, and with the UKAD and BBBofC attempting to overturn his clearance, there is significant doubt as to whether he will be able to fight Eubank. While neither organization has provided details about the specific proceedings, other than UKAD revealing their intention to challenge the NADP’s decision, it is unlikely that their appeal will be resolved this year, given Hearn’s confidence.
Additionally, as Benn does not possess a British boxing license, and it is unlikely that he will be granted one due to his dispute with the BBBofC and their attempt to overturn the NADP’s decision, Hearn also seems confident that Benn could fight in the UK regardless.
An international boxing license, which Conor Benn has been confirmed to hold after fighting in Orlando, Florida, in September of this year, does not automatically grant him the ability to fight in the UK. Non-British fighters also require approval from the BBBofC to compete in the UK, and given Benn’s ongoing dispute with the governing body, it is highly unlikely that he will be granted approval or special permission to fight Eubank in the UK.
