Anthony Joshua Has to Prove Himself, Says Eddie Hearn

Talking to iFL TV, Hearn revealed that, despite his experience, Joshua still has a lot to do to prove himself as a dominant figure in the division.

“AJ got stopped by Daniel Dubois, came back, fought Jake Paul. That’s it. Who’s to say AJ’s the same fighter that he once was? I believe he is, but you’ve still got to show it,” he said.

The reason Hearn believes so is that the former two-time heavyweight champion is no longer judged on his reputation alone. Since regaining his titles after losing to Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019, Joshua has suffered back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk, was knocked out by Daniel Dubois and has been away from top-level heavyweight competition. Although he returned with a win over Jake Paul, Hearn acknowledges that the Paul victory does not answer the biggest questions surrounding Joshua. Fans and critics want to know whether he can still compete with elite heavyweights.

Hearn has stressed that Joshua‘s upcoming bout is more than just a tune-up; it is a litmus test to prove he remains an elite heavyweight capable of beating a legitimate opponent convincingly before earning a long-awaited showdown with Tyson Fury. In Hearn’s view, he doesn’t simply need a win; he needs a performance that removes doubts.

In fact, according to Hearn, Joshua shouldn’t expect a sugar-coated response if his performance is lackluster on Saturday night.

“I’ve always believed AJ knocks him out. I’m absolutely 100% convinced. But we’ve still got to prove ourselves. If AJ goes in tomorrow night and doesn’t look sharp, I won’t sit here and say, ‘Wow, he was unbelievable.’ I’d say, ‘Look, he’s been through a lot, but he didn’t look a million dollars tonight,’” he said.

“Proved Me Wrong”

While he is confident in AJ’s skillset, Hearn admitted that Fury has repeatedly proven critics (including himself) wrong with performances far beyond their expectations.

“I think Fury will always raise his game against the opposition. He’s done it so many times in his career, proved me wrong half a dozen times in fights that I thought he’d lose, but I just don’t believe if AJ can look how I hope he looks tomorrow night, he will go into this fight as a massive favorite,” he said.