Anthony Joshua has been offered a return fight ahead of a long-awaited showdown with Tyson Fury.
Fury, 37, demanded a battle with Joshua with his rival ringside for his win over Arslanbek Makhmudov earlier this month.
‘AJ’ declined Fury’s offer to join him in the ring afterwards and his promoter Eddie Hearn has since revealed the 36-year-old will have a warm-up bout before finally locking horns with ‘The Gypsy King’.
Hearn told reporters including Pro Boxing Fans last week they have been offered a two-fight deal by Saudi Arabian boxing chief Turki Alalshikh, beginning in July and culminating with a November meeting with Fury.
Makhmudov, who previously claimed he had an agreement with Joshua to face him, has now thrown his name into the hat to be his July opponent.
“Hey Joshua, what’s up man,” the 36-year-old said in a video posted on Instagram.
“Listen, I heard about you looking for some opportunity to fight in November in Riyadh.
“Listen, I hope you don’t forget the words you give me.
“Man words. I wait for you bro, I wait for you. Let me know.”
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Fury overcame the Russian by unanimous decision at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in his first fight since a second straight defeat to Oleksandr Usyk 16 months prior, a result which sent him into retirement.
Joshua hasn’t fought since a sixth round knockout of Jake Paul in December.
The two-time heavyweight world champion was involved in a fatal car crash in Nigeria 10 days after stopping Paul, which took the lives of two of his close friends.
Joshua walked away with minor injuries and has since returned to Spain where he trains alongside former rival Usyk.
The Watford man has also been linked with a clash against Deontay Wilder.
Like Fury, a fight with the American has eluded Joshua over the years and ‘The Bronze Bomber’ called for a bout with ‘AJ’ after beating Derek Chisora earlier this month.
According to Hearn, the offer from Alalshikh does not include Wilder, but the Matchroom Chairman insists his charge is open to facing him.
“The deal that we’ve been offered is not with Deontay Wilder in mind,” he told talkSPORT.
“The powers that be don’t want us to be in that kind of fight.
“But AJ has said to me ‘I will fight Wilder and Fury back-to-back.’”
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