Last Saturday night, Matchroom promoter Hearn made it clear the priority was to get Joshua back active after injuries and recent setbacks rather than throwing him straight into the biggest fight available.
“There will be a lot of nervous people that night because there’s a lot at stake in the Tyson Fury fight,” Hearn told Fight Hub TV. “The choice will be more to get him in the ring, get over his injuries, obviously mentally get himself in the right place to fight again before taking on one of the biggest challenges of his career.”
This is the most honest public has read about Joshua’s position in months. The Fury fight still carries money and public interest, but Hearn’s comments suggest Joshua is being treated as a rebuilding contender, not a man ready to step straight into a defining event.
Hearn also shut down one possible option when asked if Miller could be the in-between opponent.
“I don’t think so. No, I don’t think he’s going to be the guy,” Hearn said.
That likely means considering a lower-risk choice, someone credible enough to sell the event but manageable enough to move Joshua to Fury intact.
Joshua remains one of boxing’s biggest commercial names, but name value and current form aren’t always the same thing. His team sounds aware of that reality. A fight back first is the safer route, and probably the necessary one.
If an announcement lands next week as Hearn expects, the long wait surrounding Joshua’s next move could finally end.
