Anthony Joshua is the 'only voice' who can make a decision about his future in the sport, says promoter Eddie Hearn.
Joshua's close friends and team members, Sina Ghami and Latif 'Latz' Adoyele, died after a fatal car crash in Nigeria last month. Joshua was also in the car and required hospital treatment for minor injuries before returning to the UK.
When asked whether he expects Joshua to take some considerable time off boxing, Hearn told Sky Sports News: "Yeah, I do."
"That's not a conversation that I think anyone's comfortable in having in terms of asking what could be next or what he's thinking.
"That's something that has to come next. You need someone to have their time and to just be left alone, really, to get over, like I said, not just a terrible incident, but just one that you can never prepare for in life. You never, ever want to see anybody you know in any kind of this situation.
"It's heartbreaking. And when the time is right, I believe he will make his decision. You'll hear it from him.
"The future of Anthony Joshua will be told by Anthony Joshua. And that's the only voice you should listen to in that respect.
"And we'll give him his time to make that decision and to heal specifically in many different ways.
"What happened to him is not normal and it's heartbreaking for everybody involved, particularly the families of Sina and Latz, who were so incredibly loved."
The 2012 Olympic gold medalist took to social media to post a tribute to Adoyele and Ghami earlier this month.
AJ will 'take his time' before making his decision
"I think AJ, as we've seen in the past on boxing-related stuff, he's always a kind of brave-faced guy," Hearn told Sky Sports News.
"This, of course, is very different to that. But I know that he'll take his time and he'll need his time physically and mentally, emotionally, spiritually before he makes a decision on his future.
I do think he's going to want to return to boxing, but that'll be his decision when the time's right. It's certainly not a conversation that I'll be having with him anytime soon.
"The only conversation now is [asking], are you okay?
"Our thoughts are, of course, not just with the families of Sina and Latz, but with AJ as well. We pray for him every day."
