Eddie Hearn: Anthony Joshua is coming back with a vengeance, will launch an assault on heavyweight division

Eddie Hearn says that Anthony Joshua will come back “with a vengeance” following his two losses to Oleksandr Usyk, and that AJ is ready to “make an assault” on the heavyweight division when he returns.

The Matchroom promoter spoke with Ak and Barak on The DAZN Boxing Show this week, and made a point to bring up Joshua’s planned April 1 return.

“We live in a mad world,” Hearn said. “This guy has gone on a run where he’s beaten Charles Martin, Molina, Breazeale, Klitschko, Parker, Povetkin, Takam, Ruiz, Pulev, and fought Usyk twice, with no breaks, no easy nights. He comes off the back of one good fight with Usyk and one fight where he was dominated. He’s fought a pound-for-pound number one back-to-back.

“The disrespect on this man’s name is unbelievable. And I don’t care, end of the day, but what I’m telling you, people who want to downplay his achievements, people that want to say he’s finished in the sport, get fucking ready for the return of Anthony Joshua on April 1.

“This guy is out there, he’s in Texas, he’s working and grinding every day. This guy’s got money in the bank, he’s got world championship belts on the wall, he don’t care about either of them. He cares for the sport of boxing, he cares for regaining his world heavyweight title, and I’m telling you, he’s coming back with a vengeance.

“Anyone who wants to doubt Anthony Joshua, this guy’s a fine young man who’s about to make an assault on the world heavyweight title again. I can’t wait, I’m so excited. I’m more excited than when this journey began.”

The leading candidate to face Joshua, though it’s not official, is Jermaine Franklin, who lost a controversial decision to Dillian Whyte in November. Franklin had called for a rematch with Whyte, but a Joshua fight would be big, and Hearn sees him as a tough comeback test for AJ.

“The haters go, ‘Jermaine Franklin?’ And at the same time, those same haters say that Jermaine Franklin won the fight won the fight against Dillian Whyte by three or four rounds,” he said.

“So what, so he didn’t win that fight? That wasn’t a great performance by Jermaine Franklin? Apparently, Anthony Joshua has no confidence, he’s a shot fighter, he’s finished, but he’s coming off those defeats to fight a guy that you say just beat Dillian Whyte by three or four rounds!

“He don’t want an easy fight. So if it’s Franklin, and he is the front-runner, it’s gonna be a great fight. And I’m telling you Anthony Joshua is coming back with vengeance in the heavyweight division.”