Eddie Hearn says he “expects” Anthony Joshua to fight again following the fatal car crash that claimed the lives of two of the heavyweight’s close friends, but has cautioned fans that nothing is certain.
Joshua, 36, was injured in a December 29 accident in Nigeria that killed Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele, long-time members of his team. Speaking to First Round TV, Hearn said:
“I don’t think there is any guarantees he fights again, but at the same time, I expect him to because it is something that he loves."
“And it is something he can carry those guys with him through as well, and it is something he wants to do. From a boxing sense, physically it wasn’t easy what he went through either. People probably don’t realise the extent of that.”
Joshua returned to the gym two weeks after attending the funerals of Ghami and Ayodele and later posted an emotional video message to fans, though he did not address his ring future directly. Hearn revealed that while Joshua has resumed training, “he is not ready yet and won’t be for a while to return to [full] boxing training.”
Before the accident, plans were in place for Joshua to fight in March and then move toward a long-awaited clash with Tyson Fury. “Obviously that is not happening now, and I don’t know if it will ever happen right now,” Hearn admitted. He added that in the coming weeks Joshua may “turn the dial up a little bit more on training, and see where he is at.”
The crash occurred just 10 days after Joshua knocked out Jake Paul in six rounds in Miami, rebounding from a 2024 KO loss to Daniel Dubois.
Image Credit: Sky Sports