Oleksandr Usyk’s Heartfelt “Secret” Message to Anthony Joshua After Tragedy Revealed by Eddie Hearn

Oleksandr Usyk’s fights against Anthony Joshua have played a major role in shaping the British star’s career trajectory. The Ukrainian heavyweight handed Joshua back-to-back defeats in their championship meetings. Despite those losses, Usyk has remained a significant influence on Joshua beyond their rivalry. Matchroom chairman Eddie Hearn recently revealed Usyk’s heartfelt message regarding Joshua’s future.

Usyk’s two fights against Joshua were major heavyweight title bouts that defined their rivalry. The first meeting in September 2021 saw Usyk outbox Joshua over twelve rounds to win by unanimous decision. The rematch in August 2022 featured Joshua’s tactical adjustments. However, Usyk once again controlled key moments and stole the split decision despite the British heavyweight having a massive ninth round.

Hearn and Joshua have built a long-standing promoter–fighter partnership at the highest level of boxing. Hearn supported Joshua throughout his ascent to champion and across multiple title bouts. Even after consecutive defeats to Usyk, the Matchroom chairman continued to defend Joshua and backed his ability to recover. He has since disclosed that Usyk sent a sincere message reflecting on Joshua’s future.

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.

Eddie Hearn via Stomping Grounds

‼️𝐄𝐃𝐃𝐈𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐍 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐊𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐑 𝐔𝐒𝐘𝐊 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐘 𝐉𝐎𝐒𝐇𝐔𝐀

🗣️ “I said to him ‘I just want to thank you for everything you have done with AJ’ and he was like ‘Eddie, you must understand,… pic.twitter.com/ACD63VQZJ7

— Pro Boxing Fans (@ProBoxingFans) May 22, 2026

Usyk’s reference was widely viewed as indirectly connected to Joshua’s December 2025 car accident in Nigeria. The crash resulted in the deaths of two of Joshua’s teammates and close friends, creating a deeply traumatic period for the former unified champion. Despite their rivalry, Usyk was one of the first to send Joshua words of support during that period, reflecting respect beyond competition.

Since their heavyweight title fights, Usyk and Joshua have developed professional respect and friendship. They have occasionally trained in similar high-performance environments and exchanged insights into preparation during camp periods. This was evident ahead of Joshua’s December 2025 fight against Jake Paul, where he completed a structured training camp and secured a sixth-round knockout victory.

The growing companionship between Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua has been compared to the fictional bond between Apollo Creed and Rocky Balboa. Their relationship reflects a shift from rivalry to mutual respect after shared championship experiences. Joshua is now preparing for his July 2026 fight against Kristian Prenga, with a long-term goal of a superfight against Tyson Fury in late 2026.

Former champion reveals who he wants Oleksandr Usyk to face next

Deontay Wilder is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous power punchers in heavyweight boxing history. His knockout ability has defined much of his career, with the right hand often seen as a fight-ending weapon. Wilder recently rebuilt momentum after a competitive stretch of mixed results. In April 2025, he secured a split decision victory over veteran Derek Chisora, marking an important step.

Oleksandr Usyk last competed in July 2025, defeating Daniel Dubois via knockout in their rematch. The win reinforced his dominance at the top of the heavyweight division. Since then, he has expressed interest in facing Wilder next, as he remains one of the few major opponents he has not fought. Former champion David Haye has also said ‘Bronze Bomber’ is the most compelling option for Usyk’s next bout.

If anyone deserves to be able to fight whoever they want to fight, he’s that guy. And I think he should fight this kick-boxer, then fight Deontay Wilder, because then, on paper, he’s beaten every man of the era. In 50 years, looking back, no one will care that Wilder had a life and death against Derek Chisora. No one cares. They just see the name brand there. So Usyk’s fought every dominant champion from his era and reigned supreme, remaining unbeaten. I think that’s the only box left to tick.

David Haye via Boxing Scene

‼️ 𝘿𝘼𝙑𝙄𝘿 𝙃𝘼𝙔𝙀 𝙍𝙀𝙑𝙀𝘼𝙇𝙎 𝙒𝙃𝙊 𝙃𝙀 𝙒𝘼𝙉𝙏𝙎 𝙊𝙇𝙀𝙆𝙎𝘼𝙉𝘿𝙍 𝙐𝙎𝙔𝙆 𝙏𝙊 𝙁𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏 𝙉𝙀𝙓𝙏…👀

🗣️ “I think he should fight this kickboxer, then fight Deontay Wilder, because then on paper, he’s beaten every man of the era.”

🗣️ “I think that’s the only… pic.twitter.com/EdvrVyBb6S

— Pro Boxing Fans (@ProBoxingFans) May 22, 2026

Oleksandr Usyk is now preparing for a scheduled superfight against kickboxing star Rico Verhoeven at the Pyramids in Egypt. The bout is being positioned as a major global event and a standout attraction. His recent performances have kept him active at the top level of boxing while maintaining strong momentum. It remains to be seen whether Deontay Wilder will be selected as his next challenger after this fight.

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