Eddie Hearn gives surprise retirement timeline for Anthony Joshua with huge exit plan

Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has shed light on Anthony Joshua's plans for the future, outlining a potential timeline for his retirement and the fights he could pursue before hanging up his gloves.

Speaking to Seconds Out, Hearn suggested:

"When I look at AJ's career, I would say... between four and six or seven fights left and all he wants to do now is he wants to beat Ngannou, he wants to beat Tyson Fury, you know. May even try and avenge the Usyk fight, maybe fight Deontay..."

Check out Eddie Hearn's comments on Anthony Joshua below:

Joshua's career boasts an impressive 27 wins, 24 of which came by way of knockout. After a dominant start with 22 consecutive victories, he faced his first professional defeat against Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019.

Following consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and 2022 for the unified heavyweight title, Joshua has bounced back with three consecutive wins, the latest against Otto Wallin in December.

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Derek Chisora backs Anthony Joshua with KO prediction despite calling Francis Ngannou "toughest opponent yet"

Derek Chisora has weighed in on Anthony Joshua's upcoming fight against Francis Ngannou, claiming Ngannou is Joshua's toughest opponent to date.

Despite Ngannou's limited professional boxing experience compared to Joshua's lengthy career against established names, Chisora believes his unpredictability makes him a significant threat.

Chisora told TalkSport:

“This is AJ’s hardest fight of all his fights, It’s the unknown. [Ngannou] has only got 10 rounds with Tyson Fury, the rest is in MMA. It was just rough fighting, uppercuts and all that craziness. On top of that, there’s so much pressure on AJ because he’s representing boxing, he’s representing all of us right now. For himself, for his name, and his dignity."

He further added:

"It comes with so much pressure when you’re fighting somebody you don’t know, who is not a great fighter. Remember, he’s only got 10 rounds with Tyson Fury and in one of the rounds he dropped Tyson Fury."

Chisora acknowledged the pressure on Joshua but remained confident about a knockout victory for 'AJ' in the fight:

“It’s going to be a hard fight for him, but I can guarantee you this, [Joshua] is going to knock him out.”

A win for Joshua would solidify his position as a major contender in the heavyweight division, potentially setting him up for a title shot against the winner of the upcoming undisputed championship clash between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.