Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s longtime promoter, confirmed Joshua’s plan to The Ring on Tuesday.

The two-time heavyweight champion was ringside for Fury’s victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov on Saturday night at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but he refused to be drawn into a vocal battle with his British rival. Immediately after his unanimous points win, Fury turned his attention to Joshua and demanded he accept his challenge to face him.

But, with the fight not yet agreed, Joshua decided against taking the bait. He later stated that he still wants a warm-up fight before heading into what would be one of the biggest fights in British boxing history.

An hour later, at his post-fight press conference in the stadium’s media auditorium, Fury warned Joshua about the dangers of a warm-up fight in a division where “everyone has power.” He then indicated he would head back into retirement unless Joshua fights him next.

Fury (35-2-1, 24 KOs) and his manager, Spencer Brown, both said they hoped to agree a September fight with Joshua (29-4, 26 KOs), with Wembley Stadium being an obvious venue, but it sounds as if they may have to wait a little longer. Hearn said the 2012 Olympic gold medalist is considering a tune-up fight in July, which would then give him four months to recover and prepare for a clash with Fury.

“Comeback in July and then Fury in November is the dream shot,” Hearn told The Ring. “There’s obviously a lot of work to be on that, but it’s what we are discussing.

“The fight in July would be a headline event against someone credible, someone of that same level as Makhmudov, and then go into the Tyson Fury fight.”

Joshua returned to the ring for the first time since September 2024 when he stopped polarizing social media star Jake Paul in the sixth round December 19 in Miami.

Just days later, Joshua was involved in a car crash that killed his two close friends, Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami. Following the tragedy near Lagos, Nigeria, it was unclear whether he would ever box again, but he has confirmed he will return to the ring this year.

The 36-year-old Joshua will not, however, be rushed into facing Fury.

It had been suggested that Joshua’s next fight could come against Deontay Wilder, another man he has been linked with for years, following the former WBC champion’s split-decision victory over Derek Chisora on April 4 at O2 Arena in London. But Hearn says a fight with Wilder would not represent the sort of warm-up they seek.

“We’d like to fight Wilder,” Hearn said. “But that is a different deal to the one where we would look to be out in July and then November. I think the focus from Netflix and Turki Alalshikh is to fight Fury, so with that in mind I don’t think they’ll be looking to go into what some perceive as a risky fight with Deontay Wilder. We like the fight, but the focus is Fury.

“He will fight in July, then he will fight Tyson Fury and I truly believe he knocks Tyson Fury out. If he does that, he ain’t retiring, so we go and try to win the world heavyweight title again.”