Eddie Hearn: Anthony Joshua’s Upcoming Fight is a Litmus Test for His Career Longevity

Promoter Eddie Hearn says Anthony Joshua’s next fight in November or December will reveal how much he has left physically in his career. Hearn expects the former two-time heavyweight champion Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) to fight someone “dangerous” in the top 15.

AJ’s Skills: Power, Boxing Still Top

Joshua’s boxing skills are still as good as ever, and his power is top-notch. He certainly has the ability to continue fighting into his 40s, provided he adopts the Klitschko-esque style that he utilized to defeat Andy Ruiz in their rematch in 2019.

For that fight, Joshua revamped his fighting style, jabbing, holding, and moving to avoid the combination punching from Ruiz. It worked well with Anthony winning a wide 12-round unanimous decision.

AJ, 35, is coming off a brutal fifth-round knockout loss to Daniel Dubois last September in London. The way Joshua was beaten in that fight raises questions about his ability to take a hard punch without getting knocked out.

“If he doesn’t look good in training camp, if the sparring isn’t looking going well, if we go into the fight in November. Let’s put it this way. If he goes into a fight in November or December, and doesn’t look good at all and hasn’t sparred well, I would even say to him ahead of the Fury fight, ‘Maybe we don’t need to do this,’” said Eddie Hearn to iFL TV about Anthony Joshua.

Deontay Wilder has been mentioned as a potential opponent for Joshua if Tyson Fury doesn’t come out of retirement. Using the former WBC heavyweight champion, Wilder, would be a good option for Joshua to build confidence. For this fight, he would have to box and not slug it out if he wants to avoid getting knocked out by ‘The Bronze Bomber.’ It would be a good fight for AJ to return to the Klitschko style.

Next Fight: Dangerous Opponent Chosen

“You’ll find out very quickly what he has left in November or December because he’s going to fight someone that is dangerous, because there isn’t anyone that is dangerous in the top 15,” said Hearn.

Anthony’s fans still believe he’s the same vintage version of himself that turned pro in 2013. They blame his loss to Dubois on his trainer, Ben Davis, telling him to “roll the dice” heading into the fifth round. It was a wacky piece of advice because Joshua was doing well boxing Daniel, using his jab and looking like he was on his way to victory.