In a sporting landscape where allegiances are tested each day and the lure of big-money moves can shake even essentially the most grounded of champions, Anthony Joshua has once more demonstrated that his loyalty runs deeper than any rival promotion’s checkbook.
It has emerged that Zuffa Boxing, the powerhouse outfit backed by UFC parent company TKO Group, didn’t just come knocking on Conor Benn’s door. “AJ” received the identical call, and his response told you the whole lot you should know in regards to the man.
Similar to Conor Benn, Anthony Joshua had an approach too.
he immediately sent Eddie a screenshot and said, “Let me know what you wish me to answer”AJ is a REAL ONE.
Respect. 🫡 pic.twitter.com/CPYF5Nu7f3
— No Context Ariel Helwani (@NoContextAriel) March 10, 2026
In response to Eddie Hearn, Joshua was approached directly by Zuffa Boxing with what was described as a serious overture. Relatively than entertain the conversation, weigh up the offer, or play each side against the center, the previous two-time unified heavyweight champion did something remarkably straightforward. He took a screenshot and fired it straight to promoter Eddie Hearn with an easy message: “Let me know what you wish me to answer.”
4 words. That is all it took to sum up a relationship built over greater than a decade.
The contrast with Benn’s situation is striking. The welterweight contender, who has been at the middle of his own Zuffa Boxing discussions, has found himself navigating the murky waters of promotional intrigue along with his future still very much up within the air. Joshua, by comparison, didn’t even pause to think about the choice.
For Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing, the gesture would have landed like a warm handshake. Joshua has been with Hearn because the early days of his skilled profession, a partnership that has weathered world title fights, stunning upsets, heavyweight rematches, and the complete rollercoaster ride that comes with being boxing’s biggest global attraction. There have been bumps, loads of them, but the muse has never cracked.
What makes this revelation so compelling is what it says about power dynamics in the present heavyweight era. Zuffa Boxing’s aggressive expansion into the game signals a real desire to reshape the promotional landscape, and the undeniable fact that they targeted a fighter of Joshua’s magnitude speaks volumes about their ambition. That Joshua deflected without hesitation is equally telling.
At 36, AJ is in the ultimate chapters of a legendary profession. His remaining big fights, the form of legacy-defining nights that also feel possible — will almost definitely be plotted by Hearn and the Matchroom machine.
Some things in boxing, it seems, simply aren’t on the market.