It has been a rough last few weeks for Eddie Hearn as a promoter. The Matchroom boss has seen Conor Benn leave him to join a rival promotion. Surely, that disappointed him. But according to Hearn, another standout boxer from his stable, Anthony Joshua, was also approached in a similar fashion. So, did Joshua leave?

“He won’t mind me saying it, said Hearn on The Ariel Helwani Show. “But you know, AJ had an approach around the back a couple of weeks ago. You know, how quickly sent me the message? The screenshot? Seconds. Let me know what you want to reply, and it’s like we’re a team till the wheels come off. We are a team, and I’ve got your back always.”

The boxer in question is none other than the former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. Like Conor Benn, Joshua has been part of Matchroom Boxing for a decade, if not more. But unlike the ‘The Destroyer’, Joshua’s loyalty towards Hearn has won the latter’s heart.

But what did Benn do, and whom did he sign for, that it disappointed Hearn? It was UFC CEO Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing that roped in the 29-year-old boxer. As such, White’s newfound boxing promotion, in collaboration with Turki Alalshikh, signed Benn for $15 million for just one fight.

It was surely an enticing offer, but Joshua stood firm on his stance as he always did when it came to Hearn. That said, back in 2015, ‘AJ’ received a proposal from an “unnamed” rival promoter for a deal worth $10 million. It was just a month before winning the British heavyweight title by defeating Dillian Whyte.

While it was a lucrative offer for a young Joshua, he did not betray Matchroom Boxing. This shows the 36-year-old’s thoughts towards loyalty. And particularly for that, he didn’t appreciate what Benn did to Hearn.

Anthony Joshua fires shot at Conor Benn over Eddie Hearn split

Anthony Joshua and Conor Benn have always been very close associates. As such, when Benn joined Matchroom Boxing, Joshua was already a part of it. And notably, ‘The Destroyer’ made his professional boxing debut in the undercard of Joshua’s first world title fight against Charles Martin at The O2 Arena.

So, over the years, as stablemates, their camaraderie grew stronger. And one notable piece of evidence of that was how Benn publicly warned and berated Jake Paul over callouts to a fight against Joshua. But gone are the days, as it seems.

“AJ: Did you bring the firepower, Eddie?” Joshua wrote on his Instagram story. “Eddie: It’s tucked on my waistline, mush. AJ: I’ll let you know when I have clear sight of Conor Benn.”

The reason is, of course, how Benn left Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing for a lucrative offer coming from Zuffa Boxing. While Joshua does not seem happy with the decision, do you think Benn made the right call to join the Dana White-led promotion? Do share your thoughts in the comments below!