Eddie Hearn has declared that Anthony Joshua could be out before end of the year as he looks to put the disappointment of his second loss to Oleksandr Usyk behind him.
Joshua produced a more spirted effort against the brilliant Ukranian, but he was left heartbroken at the end as the verdict went to Usyk.
Despite the setback, Joshua, as one of boxing’s most recognisable profiles, is expected to continue his career with a number of lucrative opportunities in front of him.
Hearn, the man who guided Joshua to the sport’s pinnacle, is still a big believer in his man and has identified the backend of 2022 as a potential date for Joshua’s return.
“I’d like to see him back out. Maybe even in late December,” said Hearn when speaking to Talksport.
“There’s massive fights for him. Dillian Whyte, Deontay Wilder. There’s so many fights for him. There’s even some Brits for him that are coming through in a couple of fights as well.”
“We’ve just got to see what he wants to do. It’s going to be a tough, tough defeat to take but he’ll be back.
“People talked in the build-up about him retiring. When you lose a split decision to the pound-for-pound number one, why would you contemplate retirement? It’s about passion. It’s about if you still want it. You could see how much he wanted it by his post-fight interview.”