Hearn bellyaching about how difficult it is to match Anthony Joshua

By Boxing News - 05/31/2015 - Comments

joshua56777By Scott Gilfoid: With the latest success in #6 WBC heavyweight contender Anthony Joshua (13-0, 13 KOs) obliterating another old timer in Kevin Johnson (29-7-1, 14 KOs) in two rounds last Saturday night, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn is now bellyaching about how difficult it is for him to find decent opponents for the 25-year-old Brit to fight.

Of course, it would help if Hearn would open up his pocket book to find some nice cash to help lure some of these so-called reluctant heavyweights to take on the 6’6” Joshua. I mean, you’re not going to get quality opponents if you’re not willing to pay the kind of cash that the better fighters want.

I don’t know what Joshua, a 2012 Olympic gold medalist, is still doing fighting journeyman pushing 40-years-old. Joshua should have been pushed up against the top tier in his 5th fight instead of Hearn stringing him along with one weak opponent after another like he’d never had an Olympic background.

“That’s [David] Price the type of opponent we’re looking for September the 12th,” Hearn said at the post-fight press conference. “Unless there’s massive money in fighting Anthony Joshua, they don’t want to take it. I don’t blame them. It’s been difficult to match him since day one, but after this fight [Kevin Johnson], it becomes more and more difficult. But after knocking Kevin Johnson out in two rounds, it’s even more difficult. But I can’t see anything else happening with every fight then what you’re seeing in each and every fight.”

Instead of Hearn complaining, he needs to use some of the muscle that he has with his Sky contract to lure the better heavyweights into facing Joshua. At least find someone that throws punches back at him, because we’re not seeing that with the guys that they’re putting in with him. Kevin Johnson looked like someone stunned him with a shot to the head before he even came out for the 1st round.

All Johnson did was flick a few harmless jabs at Joshua in the 1st round before going to the ropes to cover up. Joshua then took advantage of Johnson playing possum by nailing him with an avalanche of shots until he hit the deck. But before Johnson went to the ropes, he did absolutely nothing in terms of offense. Surely, Hearn can find better opponents for Joshua to fight than guys like Johnson, Raphael Zumbano Love and Jason Gavern.

Joshua has a fight coming up on July 18th, but it doesn’t appear that Hearn is going to put him in with anyone good in that fight because the fight that Hearn is talking about wanting to step him up is on September 12th. That’s the one where Hearn says he’d like to get guys like David Price, Dillian Whyte, Tony Thompson, Chris Arreola, Manuel Charr, Dereck Chisora or Odlanier Solis. To be honest, other than Whyte, I don’t see any of those guys as much of step up from Kevin Johnson. Those guys are all past it as far as I’m concerned.



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