Eddie Hearn shares emotional Oleksandr Usyk message about Anthony Joshua

Joshua’s long-time promoter Eddie Hearn opened up on Stomping Ground about a telling exchange he had with Usyk after seeing that support up close.

“I walked off without shaking his 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. We have to keep going. You have to tell him every day. He is the man. He can do it.’

“They were really emotionally invested in this. And I think that’s because they’re good people, but I think they see the qualities of AJ as well. The pureness of him and see this guy who’s basically just turned up in training camp on his own and they’ve taken him in,” Hearn concluded.

Joshua is moving towards a defining period, as he will return next July in a tune-up fight against Kristian Prenga.

The 36-year-old has also agreed to face Tyson Fury this year, with the long-awaited British heavyweight showdown expected to happen in November.