Eddie Hearn discusses Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua partnership

On July 25, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Anthony Joshua will face Kristian Prenga. Should AJ win as expected, Turki Alalsahikh has confirmed we can expect to see Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua on a date and at a venue to be confirmed.

Fury recently returned to action, comfortably outpointing Arslanbek Makhmudov. It feels like Fury vs Joshua is closer than it’s ever been, and one interested spectator will be Oleksandr Usyk, who has beaten both men twice, but is now a key part of Joshua’s comeback. Eddie Hearn has spoken to The Stomping Ground about that partnership, ahead of Usyk’s fight against Rico Verhoeven on May 23.

Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua

Despite sharing 24 rounds together, it appears Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk are closer than ever. Team Usyk are in charge of Anthony Joshua’s comeback and were in his corner for the Jake Paul fight. 

Usyk has spoken positively about AJ, with both seen in training together. This partnership is an intriguing one, and one that adds a fascinating layer to any Joshua vs Tyson Fury fight.

Eddie Hearn talks honestly about Joshua and Team Usyk working together

Discussing his most recent interaction with Oleksandr Usyk and revealing what he said about Anthony Joshua, Hearn said:

“He was so passionate and fired up. I walked off without shaking his (Usyk) hand, and he went, ‘Eddie, where’s my handshake?’ so I went back and said, ‘I just want to say to you, thanks for everything you’ve done with AJ.’ 

“And he’s like, ‘Eddie, you must understand. He is ready. You have to keep going, you have to tell him every day, he is the man, he can do it.’ He’s so passionate. They’re really emotionally invested in this. I think that’s because they’re good people, but I think they see the qualities of AJ as well as the pureness of him, and see this guy who’s basically just tuned up in training camp on his own. 

“And they’ve taken him in, and the partnership couldn’t be better right now. In fact, talking to AJ yesterday, I’ve never seen him this dialled in and mentally focused on what needs to be done. And it’s a great partnership, and I just said thank you, and he was just saying keep going, keep him going. We’ve got to stay on this, and this is a guy who’s fighting in two days (against Verhoeven). He seemed more bothered about AJ, and it’s been a great experience.”