Eddie Hearn has changed his stance on Anthony Joshua’s future.

The Matchroom Boxing chief insisted earlier this year that AJ doesn’t have long left in the sport.

Hearn was there with AJ – now he’s opened up about Fury’s clash with NgannouCredit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom

However, Hearn has made a major U-turn as Joshua gears up to face Daniel Dubois for the IBF heavyweight title on September 21.

AJ himself gave an interview earlier this year in which he claimed he was entering his final couple of years in boxing – a position, Hearn had backed.

However, when asked how many fights the 34-year-old has left, Hearn told talkSPORT.com: “At the moment, plenty.

“Everything changes after every fight, but I think I’ve never seen him enjoy boxing so much.

“The preparation, the team. It’s simple but effective. I think he’s really found his rhythm with Ben [Davison] and the camp there.

“And I think if you look back after the Oleksandr Usyk fights you might have said, ‘How many more fights? Three? Five?’

“Well we’ve had four since then and now we’re saying five [more] still.It’s always fight by fight.”

Providing Joshua comes out of his clash with Dubois unscathed, then HE Turki Alalshikh is targeting the long-awaited all-British showdown with Tyson Fury.

Joshua opens up as a 1/4 favourite to defeat ‘Triple D’ and become a three-time heavyweight champion.

But Hearn insists it’s not a foregone conclusion.

“This is a very dangerous fight, but it’s a great fight,” he added.

Hearn claims Joshua is enjoying boxing more than everCredit: Getty

“And as it gets closer I think people are starting to realise.

“People in boxing know what a great fight it is, but I think the general consensus is, ‘Oh, AJ’s a massive favourite.’

“I think he is a favourite, but if you look at people’s assessment within boxing.

“Obviously, they’re much more skewed towards it being a 50/50 than maybe the man on the street who doesn’t know a great deal about Dubois and the run that he’s on.

“I think they’re both in absolutely prime form but I do make Anthony the favourite in the fight.”

Hearn also revealed to talkSPORT.com that he once had the chance to sign Dubois himself, but ultimately passed it up.

He recalled: “I never really had my eye on him, but I had Ambrose Mendy come onto me and say, ‘There’s this kid at GB.’

“I spoke to the people at GB and they said he’s a really good young heavyweight.

“They phoned me up and said, ‘This is the deal that’s on offer from Queensberry, will you match it?’

“I said no because I’d hardly ever heard of him and it was a lot of money.

“That was when I first found out really and discussed Dubois at length.

“When I started out he looked really good and, I don’t kick myself, but I was like, ‘Oh, maybe he was worth the money.’

“Then obviously he got beat by Joe Joyce and it was like, ‘Wow, all that investment.’ But the bounce back has been really impressive.

“I think it just shows you that when you jump in the deep end, if you get beat it’s not the end of the world.

“Look at the defeats that he’s had and the way he’s bounced back, and now he’s in the form of his career.

“And still, what is he? 26? He’s really probably not even in his prime as a heavyweight yet.”