According to Eddie Hearn, Anthony Joshua has turned to boxing as a haven while he grieves the loss of two close friends who perished in a vehicle accident in Nigeria in December. When Joshua was involved in the accident, he was traveling to Nigeria, the country where his parents were born. Latif Ayodele, a boyhood buddy, and Sina Ghami, a recovery therapist, perished, but he escaped with injuries.
Joshua's boxing future was seriously called into question by the tragedy, which naturally prevented him from training for a while.
Since then, he has returned to camp, and Hearn told SunSport in Egypt that Joshua's recuperation has been much aided by the gym.
He feels protected here. He can focus his thoughts here. It has undoubtedly been a very trying time in his life, but AJ is a very driven person, and I believe that he is putting a lot of his anguish and suffering into his training," Hearn remarked.
He dedicates a great deal of his work to his brothers in Sina and Latz, as well as his friends. He will undoubtedly experience mental and emotional suffering, but he is concentrating on his passions and the things they used to do together, like working hard and attending training camp.
Joshua is presently in Egypt to assist Oleksandr Usyk, who will fight kickboxer Rico Verhoeven on Saturday to defend his WBC heavyweight belt. Joshua's perspective has changed dramatically, according to Hearn, since the 36-year-old has begun working with the pound-for-pound number one.
He's never looked like this to me. There, I had a brief conversation with Usyk. I wanted to express my gratitude to him for welcoming AJ into his camp and for all of the inspiration he has provided him.
Because he's in one of the world's greatest training camps, where the pound-for-pound number one is constantly pushing him. He is getting better, enjoying his workouts, and is in better shape than before. Hearn added, "But more than that, he's driven and enthusiastic about the future."
Joshua, who had previously talked about 2026 perhaps being his last year in boxing, is now apparently discussing continuing for an additional three years due to the full turnaround.
"We mentioned today that we thought 2026 would be his final year as a boxer. He is currently discussing an additional three years. Thus, he is having fun. You have to realize that this man is training harder than ever and that he wants it more than ever.
In order to locate the ideal setting for himself, he is stepping outside of his comfort zone. Hearn added, "And he's discovered that in this training camp."
Joshua's first fight following the injury is scheduled for July 25 in Riyadh against Albanian heavyweight Kristian Prenga.
For the much anticipated bout with Tyson Fury, which is scheduled for November, contracts have already been signed.
