Eddie Hearn has admitted he was unsure whether Anthony Joshua would ever return to boxing after the heavyweight champion survived a deadly car crash in Nigeria last December. Two of Joshua's close friends and coaches, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, were killed when their Jeep struck a stationary lorry. Joshua escaped with minor injuries and is now set to face Kristian Prenga on July 25, a fight seen as a warm-up for a potential clash with Tyson Fury.
Speaking at the pre-fight press conference, Hearn revealed the extent of Joshua's physical and emotional recovery. “After the accident, you never know if you’re ever going to be the same,” he said. “Physically, he was seriously damaged. Mentally and emotionally, you can only imagine what was going through his mind. He had to do three months of rehab before even getting into camp. I didn’t know physically if he would ever return to boxing.”
Hearn praised Joshua’s determination, saying the fighter is now “more dangerous than he’s been before” and hopes to honour Ghami and Ayodele with a victory over Prenga. “What he has done to pull himself back, physically and emotionally, with this driving force – it’s remarkable,” Hearn added.
Joshua himself remained understated, expressing gratitude for the focus boxing provides. “You have to put a road map in front of a fighter and show them what is point one, point two, point three. It gives purpose and focus,” he said. “I know what my year looks like. Give me the opportunity to fight Prenga, give me the opportunity to fight Fury, give me the opportunity to fight for the championship.”
