Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has revealed how he left Anthony Joshua ‘very quiet’ for a long time after delivering a cold truth to the boxer.
AJ was knocked out in the fifth round by Daniel Dubois in a shock result at Wembley on Saturday to leave his career at a crossroads.
It is the fourth time he has now lost, having been beaten by Oleksandr Usyk twice and Andy Ruiz Jr in the past.
Aged 34, Joshua’s promoter Hearn insisted he might not have many fights left – giving him a maximum of three.
Eddie Hearn gave Anthony Joshua a cold truth
Reuters
Hearn told DAZN: “I said to AJ the other night, ‘you’ve got somewhere between one and three fights left’, and it all went very quiet on the phone.
“Like the realisation, he doesn’t want to leave the sport, he loves it.”
Joshua first made headlines at the London Olympics in 2012 when he won gold at super-heavyweight for Team GB.
But arguably his greatest highlight was beating Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley in 2017 in an electric fight that made him a superstar.
However, after returning to the venue seven years later, the lights have dimmed somewhat and there is now talk over retirement.
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Not that Hearn has that in mind right now and wants him to fight fellow British boxer Tyson Fury – but Joshua has other ideas.
“We as a team will make sure he leaves the sport at the right time,” Hearn added.
“You leave when you’re deteriorating, and when it’s showing in the gym, and when you’re not sparring well and you’re getting hurt in sparring – and none of that’s happening, by the way.
“He was in that camp and they were going, ‘wow’, best camp, best form, everything.
Daniel Dubois knocked Anthony Joshua out in the fifth round
PA
“If Tyson Fury loses against Oleksandr Usyk, my advice would be for those two [Joshua and Fury] to have two fights in 2025 and then sail off into the sunset, may the best man win.
“For me, we have to fight Tyson Fury before it’s done.
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Anthony Joshua and Eddie Hearn have other ideas over who he should face next
Reuters
“Do we want the rematch? Is it the right move next now?
“Again, taking away AJ’s emotion, taking away the fighter in him, taking away the pride, do we wait until December 21 and see what happens with Tyson Fury [against Usyk]? Or do we jump straight back in to Daniel Dubois?”