When Anthony Joshua returns to the ring, he may have the support of Oleksandr Usyk and the undisputed world champion’s training team.
Joshua is currently “undecided” whether he will work for Team Usyk in the future, but he is training for “fact-finding missions” with the Ukrainian team.
It would be a remarkable development to see Joshua form such a partnership with a nemesis who has defeated him twice.
Usyk has two wins over both Joshua and Tyson Fury, becoming one of the leading heavyweights of his generation, winning all four world championships from the British pair.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn said this overture was due to Joshua’s desire to develop himself as a fighter.
Hearn told Sky Sports: “I just always look to improve and learn.”
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However, it remains to be seen whether Usyk’s team will be a part of Joshua’s team. Hearn said Joshua’s position on that is “undetermined.”
“I’ve learned over the years that things like that come out of him in terms of announcements and decisions. He was always interested in, ‘What does that feel like?'” the promoter said.
Throughout his career, Joshua has spent time with some of the world’s leading coaches, such as Canelo Alvarez’s mentor Eddie Reynoso, although they haven’t had a training partnership.
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“I trained with Robert Garcia and ended up going with Robert Garcia a little bit. I trained with Derrick James and ended up going with Derrick James a little bit,” Hearn noted. “I trained with other people, but I didn’t go with them.
“I know AJ’s mindset. He’s probably seen Usyk’s performance and wants me to go check it out. It’s not like, ‘Go and join them.’
“I haven’t caught up with him since he’s been out there, but I’m sure he’ll make a decision soon.”
Joshua has not fought as of 2025, but there is still a chance he will box in December. Matchroom will promote three international bills next month in Monaco, Ghana and Saudi Arabia.
The Dec. 27 card in Riyadh, headlined by Japanese pound-for-pound superstar Naoya Inoue, could offer a low-key adjustment opportunity for Joshua with far less stress on his shoulders than a top event at a familiar stadium.
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“He’ll make a decision this week whether he’s going to fight this year or not. Basically he has to make a decision by the end of this week,” Hearn said.
“It doesn’t really matter where it is. We probably won’t know about it until game week. That’s what it’s all about, to be honest.
“I think that’s very good for him, but at the same time it’s weird because there’s no money in the fight. We’re not going to start using him to sell tickets. He literally just shows up at the show.”
“He’s really motivated, which I think is very good for him,” Hearn added. “I want him to go in there and beat the crap out of somebody.”
