Boxing
DAZN News Daily Round-Up - Joshua eyes July return, Barrios unruffled and Okolie wants title fight
3 fight nights. 1 unmissable weekend. Only on DAZN
DAZN News rounds-up the biggest stories in boxing on Friday, February 20
Joshua set for July return
Anthony Joshua will make his return to the ring seven months on from a life-changing car accident, per Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn.
The Briton's future has been up in the air since he was involved in a fatal crash shortly after his six-round win over Jake Paul in December.
Two of the star's friends and team members were killed in the incident in Nigeria, with plans to face Tyson Fury put on the backburner.
Speaking on a Thursday media call (via ESPN), Hearn has now revealed that Joshua will seek to secure a comeback bout this summer.
"I'm looking at options to get him back in the ring in July," he said. "We'll only know if that's a real possibility when he returns to camp."
Barrios not feeling the heat
Mario Barrios has reiterated he is not feeling the pressure ahead of his latest WBC welterweight title defence against Ryan Garcia on Saturday.
The incumbent champion has retained his belt twice via draws in his last pair of bouts and enters as the underdog with bookmakers in Vegas.
But he remains confident that he can retain his crown and end his rival's latest bid to earn a maiden world crown at Nevada's T-Mobile Arena.
"None of it has bothered me," he said. "I'm the champion for a reason. I know everything that I've been doing in the gym, to prepare for this fight.
"I'm not a talker when it comes to all this. Every time I get in there, I fight. I leave it all in there. That's what I'm looking forward to this Saturday."
Okolie chasing heavyweight title shot
Lawrence Okolie wants to take a crack at Agit Kabayel, with trainer Joe Gallagher insistent his man can take on the heavyweight 'boogeyman'.
The hard-hitting German retained his WBC interim crown with a win over Damian Knyba last month, and wants to chase Oleksandr Usyk next.
The Ukrainian's selective process means that Okolie, the governing body's next-ranked challenger, may get an opportunity to face Kabayel though.
Gallagher said: "I don't think he can run no more. Lawrence will fight in Germany. Lawrence is not bothered, he'll fight here, there, anywhere.
"That's a fight we'll want, I'm hugely confident that we'll beat the boogeyman of the heavyweight division, if he's given the opportunity and good notice."
3 fight nights, 1 unmissable weekend - only on DAZN
Watch three amazing fights this weekend - Feb 21-22 - exclusively on DAZN. It's Barrios vs. Garcia for the WBC welterweight title on PPV; with Wood vs. Warrington II, and Shields vs. Crews-Dezurn II on DAZN subscription. Get all three all included with DAZN Ultimate Tier.
