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Eddie Hearn reveals relationship with Anthony Joshua prevented him from

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Eddie Hearn and Anthony Joshua

Eddie Hearn reveals relationship with Anthony Joshua prevented him from representing Fury & Usyk

Eddie Hearn has revealed that his strong relationship with Anthony Joshua has prevented him from representing Tyson Fury and re-signing Oleksandr Usyk.

One of the most influential names in British sport, Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn has represented some of boxing’s biggest stars in recent years, but arguably no bigger than former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.

The pair’s relationship started in 2013, when AJ turned professional with Matchroom Boxing after securing gold at the 2012 Olympic Games. In 2021, Joshua agreed to his fourth and final contract with the company, signing a career-long promotional deal.

While Joshua’s relationship with Hearn and Matchroom has proved to be one of the most loyal in boxing, the promoter has suggested that it’s prevented him from representing some of the division’s most prestigious names.

When speaking to iFL TV, he said: “We had a three-fight deal and when he (Usyk) beat Chisora and moved up from cruiserweight, he was mandatory for AJ. The fourth fight was actually Anthony Joshua and so was the fifth fight.

“I said to Alex Krassyuk and the team: ‘Look, we’ll just negotiate the fight. I’m not going to re-sign him or be involved because I have AJ’.”

When asked if over the years he had spent too much time prioritising his relationship with Joshua as opposed to pursuing deals with other heavyweights, including Tyson Fury, Hearn responded:

“The answer to your question is yes.”

Because of my relationship with AJ, I felt very uncomfortable about other heavyweights that might fight him, particularly who do fight him.

– Eddie Hearn (iFL TV)

“When I had the chance to sign Tyson Fury, there were two things. One, he was physically in a place that I didn’t think he’d get back to the top. But also in the back of my mind, I’m thinking: ‘This really isn’t going to go down very well’ (with Joshua).

“AJ would never say to me: ‘Don’t sign him.’ I just feel like that’s my guy.

“I would feel very uncomfortable if we signed Tyson Fury and made that fight. I don’t want to go into Fury vs AJ representing both people.”

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Eddie Hearn provides update on Anthony Joshua surgery and lays out two comeback fight options

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Eddie Hearn and Anthony Joshua

Anthony Joshua is plotting his next move after undergoing successful elbow surgery.

The Watford powerhouse was knocked out by Daniel Dubois last September at Wembley Stadium and has been sidelined ever since.

The plan was for AJ to box again this summer, however, an injury to his elbow left him unable to resume full training.

Luckily, that issue has since been resolved under the knife, and Joshua is now on track to return to the ring at the back end of 2025.

“He’s had the operation, which went very well, and now he’s just sort of rehabbing it,” Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn told BoxingScene.

“I believe about six weeks till he can punch again properly, and that kind of lends itself to a September, October, November fight.

“That gives us a chance to see what happens with Dubois against Usyk.

“That gives us a chance to see if Mr. Fury will ever return, and maybe something else.

“But he’s definitely fighting this year and looking forward to it.”

It seems unlikely Joshua will face the winner of Oleksandr Usyk vs Dubois, with WBO interim title holder Joseph Parker lying in wait.

Meanwhile, it remains to be seen whether Tyson Fury will ever fight again.

‘The Gypsy King’ hung up his gloves in January after suffering a second consecutive defeat to Usyk.

In recent weeks, he had teased the idea of reversing his retirement.

However, he put an end to the speculation over the weekend by insisting he will ‘stay retired’.

“I hear a lot of talk about ‘The Gypsy King’ returning to boxing and I ask this question first of all: for what?” he said from a beautiful view of Lake Como in Italy.

 Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua

 

“What would I return for? More belts? I’ve won 22 of them. I’ve been rumped, that’s it, fair play to them, they got their use out of me.

“But I’m happy, I am happy, content with what I’ve done, what I have achieved and what I have accomplished.

“I’ve been around the world and back again, and here we are, this is what retirement looks like for the Gypsy King, not too shabby.

“I’m in no rush at all to come back to boxing and get my face punched in.

“For what? What would I return for? I ask that question. So here we are, I am retired and I am staying retired.

“I have nothing to prove to anybody and nothing to return for. God bless you all, and see you on the other side.”

Boxing fans have been clamouring to see the Brits lock horns for the best part of a decade.

Even if the bout is five years past its sell-by date, it remains the biggest fight in British boxing.

And regardless of where Fury’s head is at, Joshua is still holding out hope that the blockbuster showdown will happen in the not-so-distant future.

Taking to Snapchat on Saturday, he wrote: “One of these days, it will be me standing in the opposite corner, ready and fully charged spiritually.”

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Eddie Hearn suggests Anthony Joshua has ‘between one and three

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Eddie Hearn and Anthony Joshua

Eddie Hearn suggests Anthony Joshua has ‘between one and three fights left’ in boxing

Anthony Joshua could have anywhere “between one and three fights left” in his career but will return this year, according to his promoter Eddie Hearn.

Joshua, 35, has not fought since his defeat to Daniel Dubois in September 2024, when he tumbled to the canvas during a devastating fifth round.

He recently suffered an injury set-back but is set to make a highly anticipated return to boxing this year and Hearn said the former world heavyweight champion is targeting the “biggest fight possible”.

Hearn told the Independent: “The next decision is really important, he’s got anywhere between one and three fights left. We’ve got to get it right but he is 100 per cent fighting this year.

“He is definitely fighting in 2025, when I don’t really know because he’s probably got about two weeks before we can go back to training and start punching properly. That’s been the problem for him, but once he does that we can start thinking about a realistic date.

Anthony Joshua 

“We’re not really in any rush because the decision is so important. Obviously, in a dream scenario Mr [Tyson] Fury just wakes up one morning and goes ‘Yeah, we’ll give everyone the biggest fight in boxing’.

“Probably calls AJ and then they get a deal done on the phone, in five minutes. But, we can’t operate on that basis, so right now we are just looking to meet up in a couple of weeks and go through the options.”

Hearn also discussed the pressure of choosing the right date for AJ’s return to the ring, expressing that: “Until he returns back to full-time training it’s difficult to nail a date.

“If he starts training in May or just after it may have been a little bit early, so for us it’s August or September – something like that.

“People keep saying ‘Who?’ [will he fight], I always get asked in an interview ‘Who though, give us some names?’

“I honestly don’t know, he can fight anyway he wants, and at the moment he’s just kind of relaxed. He’s been to Nigeria and had a great time out there. He is looking forward to fighting again but also we recognised that the next decision has to be right, we’re looking forward to that.

Hearn guaranteed: “It will be a big fight, the biggest fight possible and I believe he still has a lot to give.”

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Eddie Hearn reacts to Jake Paul’s callout of Anthony Joshua

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Anthony Joshua

Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua? Eddie Hearn thinks it could happen.

The Matchroom Boxing chairman addressed Paul’s recent comments concerning a potential matchup with Joshua, in which Paul said he will “f*cking beat Anthony Joshua’s ass.” Joshua, a two-time heavyweight champion, is coming off of a knockout loss to Daniel Dubois and seeks his next big fight, and if Paul’s team is serious about making that happen then so is Hearn.

“To be honest, I look at it and I think Jake Paul against Anthony Joshua—for me, we’d do it for the banter,” Hearn said on Matchroom Boxing’s YouTube channel. “ ‘A.J.’ would fight Jake Paul. He’d fight anyone to be honest with you. If Jake Paul wants to step up and fight Anthony Joshua, he’ll need the relevant insurance.

“The only thing that was disappointing was he says 2026. That’s like me saying, ‘L.A. Olympics for the surfing in 2028, I’ll be there.’ Do it in 2025 if you really want to do it. You’re not going to get really much better at this stage. I don’t know. Those two have spoken, I spoke to A.J. this morning, he went, ‘Listen, of course I’d fight him.’”

Paul, a longtime YouTuber and social media influencer who has become one of boxing’s biggest stars, also seeks another big-name fight after a widely viewed clash with 58-year-old legend Mike Tyson this past November. That event, which streamed live on Netflix, shattered numerous viewership records while garnering considerable mainstream attention.

Hearn would be happy to do business with Paul, and he’s confident Joshua would as well.

“We know Jake creates massive events,” Hearn said. “You know that’s going to create unbelievable viewership and, no disrespect to Jake Paul, it’s a straightforward night’s work. But I like this calling out of Canelo [Alvarez] and all this. A.J. is another challenge up there. If they’re game, why not?”

Joshua has yet to address Paul’s comments himself, so for now Hearn is serving as his de facto spokesman. And he said whether it’s Paul or anyone else, Joshua is ready to get back in the ring.

“[Joshua] said, ‘Why not?’” Hearn said. “I said, ‘What do you want me to say when I’m asked about it?’ He said, ‘Tell everyone I’ll fight anyone, anytime, it’s not a problem for me.’”

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Eddie Hearn Reveals Who Anthony Joshua Is Likely to…

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Anthony Joshua 

Eddie Hearn Reveals Who Anthony Joshua Is Likely to Fight Next: “He’s Pleading For It”

Eddie Hearn and his fighter Anthony Joshua are carefully planning their next move.

It has been a rollercoaster few years for ‘AJ’, once the unified champion who was knocking all comers out but then took an upset loss to Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019.

He won his belts back in a rematch against Ruiz and, after some more straight forward wins, stepped in against Oleksandr Usyk. The Brit fell short in back to back fights to the man who went on to become undisputed champion earlier this year.

Joshua rebuilt again with knockout victories over Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou before coming up against new IBF champion Daniel Dubois in September.

That fight ended in disaster for Joshua, who was knocked down twice before being stopped in the fifth round by the in-form Dubois.

It was thought Joshua would take an immediate rematch, but his team has since revealed he won’t be ready for Dubois’ preferred date of February 22. Speaking to iFL TV Hearn has now said he could well still take that next.

“Yeah, I think ‘AJ’ might fight Dubois next. Physically, he’s not ready to go back into camp, he had a few niggles coming out of the fight, he would have to go into a February 22nd not 100%, to be honest. And he wants to do that.

It’s very difficult but when I get on a call and you’ve got Anthony Joshua pleading to let him fight on February 22nd and you’ve got his doctor and his physio saying you can physically start camp in three or four weeks and be 100. ‘Yeah but I can’t beat him, I don’t want to those the opportunity to rematch him.’ It’s like, if we get this wrong, you’re done.”

Hearn then said the team would take the time to get Joshua completely fit mentally and physically and reiterated who he will fight next.

“There are only really those two fights that are the focus, the rematch with Daniel Dubois, or the fight with Tyson Fury win or lose against Usyk.”

Either of those fights would be huge for British boxing, and a challenge for Joshua that Fury thinks is a step too far. In the meantime, Dubois is set to defend his belt in February with an opponent yet to be announced.

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