“It’s going to be someone like, you know, I don’t think you guys are going to look at it and go, ‘Wow,’” said Hearn to iFL TV.
Hearn defended that route by pointing to Joshua’s recent injuries and the need to return in the right condition before stepping into a much bigger event later in the year.
“It’s also a comeback fight after some quite severe injuries and obviously a very traumatic time in his life.”
That suggests Team Joshua is focused on getting rounds, timing, and confidence back rather than gambling against a dangerous contender straight away. Hearn also hinted the lower-profile July fight is tied directly to something much bigger.
“The good news for you is that if we take a fight like this, we have signed to fight Tyson Fury.”
If that plan holds, fans may complain about the comeback opponent, but they would likely accept it if Joshua vs Fury follows soon after.
However, AJ takes another “easy” touch in July, it creates a massive gap in his resume. His last real heavyweight test was that brutal knockout loss to Daniel Dubois back in September 2024.
The Jake Paul fight in December 2025 was basically a lucrative exhibition in all but name, and following it with another low-tier opponent means Joshua will have gone nearly two years without facing a legitimate, top-10-ranked heavyweight. At 36, that’s a lot of competitive rust to shake off before stepping in with someone like Fury.
If Joshua destroys a hand-picked opponent in July, it might just be Fool’s Gold. We’ve seen this cycle before: AJ looks like a destroyer against someone he’s supposed to beat, the hype train leaves the station, and then he struggles when the level of opposition actually tests his chin or stamina.
If the July fight is truly about recovery and readiness after his car accident, Hearn is essentially betting that AJ’s muscle memory and world-class power are still there, even if the elite-level activity isn’t.
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