"I Thought His Career Was Over": Eddie Hearn Reacts to Joshua's Great Escape

Standing in front of the Stomping Ground cameras, Eddie Hearn looked like a man who had just seen a ghost and then won the lottery. The Matchroom promoter did not hide his raw panic when reflecting on the opening three minutes of the fight. He openly admitted that when Anthony Joshua hit the canvas for the second time, he genuinely believed the former champion's career was finished right then and there. Given the immense personal tragedy Joshua carried into the ring following the loss of his close team members, Hearn confessed he was incredibly proud just to see AJ step through the ropes at all.

However, pride quickly turned to pure terror in the front row. Hearn questioned the sanity of matchmaking such a dangerous opponent, noting that anyone with twenty knockouts on their record poses a lethal threat in the heavyweight division. One wrong punch can destroy years of careful planning, and Prenga nearly pulled off the upset of the century. Hearn described the tense atmosphere in the corner, realizing that everything they had built towards was slipping away in seconds.

Ultimately, the dramatic second-round turnaround did more than just save Joshua's pride; it salvaged the biggest financial and cultural event in modern British boxing history. Hearn confirmed that a loss would have permanently erased the highly anticipated undisputed showdown with Tyson Fury. Thanks to Joshua's resilience, the mega-fight for Fall 2026 remains perfectly intact, leaving Hearn relieved, exhausted, and ready for the biggest promotion of his life.