British boxing promoter, Eddie Hearn, has hailed Anthony Joshua’s resilience, saying an intensive rehabilitation programme played a crucial role in the former heavyweight champion’s return to the ring.
Joshua is set to face Kristian Prenga in Jeddah on Saturday in his first bout since the tragic road accident in Nigeria that claimed the lives of two of his closest associates, Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele.
The 36-year-old was travelling in the same vehicle when it crashed into a stationary truck near Lagos on December 29, 2025. While Joshua escaped with minor injuries, the incident left him devastated by the loss of his trusted companions.
Ahead of the fight at the Jeddah Superdome in Saudi Arabia, Hearn reflected on Joshua’s physical and emotional recovery, describing the rehabilitation process as one of the toughest periods of the boxer’s career.
“What you didn’t see is when he was trying to get out of bed and he couldn’t move,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Then he’s sitting on a bike for two hours where he can’t move his torso but he can move his legs.
“It was two or three months of doing that and that was when he was down. He couldn’t box and he couldn’t go into training camp, it was just rehab, bike, stretching, scans, physio. All of that was the most difficult time but when he got into camp, that was great.
“You can show all this strength, you can train three times a day, but in those moments on your own, when you might be replaying the day… I can’t even imagine how he feels. I can’t even imagine how you draw the strength to get yourself physically ready and to overcome what’s happened mentally.
“Sina was there every second of every day and Joshua had to return to Dubai to the house where they all lived. He has shown unbelievable strength and I’m just pleased to see him back. Now I just want to see him do the hard work justice with a good performance.”
