Anthony Joshua appears to be moving closer to a comeback, and Oleksandr Usyk sounds convinced the former heavyweight titleholder still has plenty left. Speaking recently, Usyk said Joshua is back in serious training and trending toward a return after dealing with health issues following an accident.
Usyk, who currently holds the WBA, WBC, IBF and IBO heavyweight titles, described Joshua’s work in the gym in glowing terms. “I watched Anthony train — this guy is just a machine. Right now he needs the help of those close to him. But Anthony is ready to return. We need a little time for him to get into optimal shape, because we know AJ had health problems after the accident. But he can fight,” Usyk told The Independent.
The comments carry extra weight given the history between the two men. Usyk defeated Joshua in back-to-back fights, yet the relationship between them has clearly evolved from rivalry into mutual respect. When a former opponent of Usyk’s caliber publicly backs Joshua’s condition, it adds credibility to the idea that AJ’s return may not be far off.
That matters in a heavyweight division still searching for clarity behind its top names. A healthy Joshua immediately reenters the short list of commercially viable contenders, and any successful comeback could put him back in the mix for another title shot or a major all-British event. For Joshua, the stakes are obvious: he needs to show he is still an elite heavyweight and not simply a big name living off past accomplishments.
Joshua last fought in December, when he scored a sixth-round knockout of Jake Paul at Kaseya Center in Miami. The next key development will be whether his camp begins signaling a timeline for his official return — and how quickly he can turn strong gym reports into a meaningful fight announcement.