Anthony Joshua’s mindset has changed heading into his return in July, and Eddie Hearn says the former heavyweight champion is finally speaking with complete certainty about what he wants next.
Hearn revealed that Joshua is no longer using the cautious “one fight at a time” approach that has defined much of his recent career. Instead, he says AJ is openly talking about destroying Kristian Prenga, knocking out Tyson Fury and becoming heavyweight champion again.
“I’ve never seen him with such clarity about what he’s doing, where he is and what he wants to do,” Eddie Hearn told iFL TV about Joshua.
“He’s basically talking about, ‘I want to hurt Prenga. I want to destroy him, and then I want to knock out Tyson Fury, and then I want to try to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.’
“He’s always been a, ‘I have July 25 as my focus, and I don’t look beyond that.’ He looked past it. He has a plan. He has the belief in what he is doing at the moment that makes him feel excited about the future.”
Hearn said Joshua’s mentality and motivation now reminds him of a fighter who is still chasing greatness rather than someone who is satisfied with what he has already achieved.
“He’s training harder now than he’s ever trained before. He wants it now more than when he had nothing,” Hearn said.
“That’s a sign of a winner. That’s a sign of a true competitor. You don’t put yourself through what he puts himself through day in and day out for nothing. He wants it bad.”
Hearn also believes that Joshua’s renewed hunger makes him dangerous again at heavyweight after years of criticism about his confidence and mentality following losses to Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois.
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Last updated on 2026/05/22 at 22:32
