Eddie Hearn has admitted a group of students who heckled Anthony Joshua "faced the consequences" after the heavyweight threatened to break their jaws.
Footage emerged of Joshua confronting a group of Loughborough University students who heckled him over a fight with heavyweight rival Tyson Fury. The two-time champion is heard saying in the clip: "Remember you’re running your mouth because when I start cracking your glass jaws, none of you will like it. Watch your mouths because you don’t know who you’re talking to sometimes."
Hearn has now revealed Joshua's confrontation with the students was sparked by more "X-rated" comments than previously anticipated. "I saw a lot of stuff in the papers saying that they were just shouting stuff about Tyson Fury but they weren't," Hearn revealed in an interview with iFL TV. "I am sure they did at some point but it was a bit more X-rated than that. There is a lot of stuff you don't say to people you can't not expect anything back.
"You are not on Twitter, you are shouting personal insults at a heavyweight fighter. I did laugh at imagining the situation, I am sure you have had a few beers and you are making your way back up to the apartment and AJ has sneaked in. He took his shoes off before he went in to give these guys a dressing down. Its up to people how they interpret it, I spoke to him about it and he told me things that were said.
"In his position I suppose you have to behave in a certain way supposedly. Sometimes someone pushes your buttons but if you are going to get abused publicly you have to face the consequences. I just think it was very polite that he took his shoes off."
Joshua has been training on the campus ahead of his planned rematch with Oleksandr Usyk which is set to take place in July. He is currently working with new head trainer Angel Fernandez as he looks to regain his unified titles. His rival Fury was quick to respond to the video on social media by teasing the heavyweight, claiming he has that "effect" on people.
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Radio presenter Simon Jordan backed Joshua after his actions, claiming that the heavyweight champion taught the students a life lesson. “I think he’s absolutely right,” talkSPORT presenter Jordan said. "I think that there’s kids in this society who think they can say things on social media, run around doing precisely what they want and they can replicate it in society.
“ Anthony Joshua gave them a life lesson. He told these kids you can’t say what you want to say to people. You can’t just say these things and not be accountable for it. Whatever I think of Anthony Joshua as a legitimate heavyweight champion of the world, he’s entitled to respect."
