Hearn to decide Joshua’s Dec.10 opponent in 48 hours

By Boxing News - 10/25/2016 - Comments

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By Scott Gilfoid: Matchroom Sport promoter Eddie Hearn says he’s going to make his decision in the next 48 hours who IBF heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will be fighting on December 10 at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. Hearn had been hoping the World Boxing Association would sanction a fight between Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko for that date.

Unfortunately for Joshua, Klitschko revealed that he was injured on Monday and couldn’t take the fight. Hearn is now planning on selecting Joshua’s likely opponent from this bunch: Eric Molina, Kubrat Pulev, Bryant Jennings, Jarrell Miller and David Price.

According to David Haye, he 34-year-old world title challenger Molina will be the one getting the fight with Joshua. It’s interesting that Hearn would select a fighter that was destroyed in nine rounds by Deontay Wilder last year for Joshua to fight. I can’t say that would be the smartest thing for Hearn to do, but it would be a nice safe pick for Joshua. There are some unknowns involved if Joshua is put in the ring with Miller, Pulev or Jennings.

Hearn said this to skysports.com about Joshua’s next fight on December 10:

“There’s quite a few guys from America calling him out and we have a big deal with Showtime as well. Guys like Bryant Jennings, Eric Molina, Jarrell Miller, all guys in the top 15. David Price is calling Anthony Joshua out but I am not sure he has done quite enough. He’s been making some noise and they are two Olympic medalists in an Olympic year. Over the next 48 hours we’ll make our decision I would think.”

Gee, I wonder if Joshua has any say so about whom he fights next. After all, it’s Joshua that has to get himself motivated enough to go through a training camp to fight the guy that Hearn handpicks for him. Heck, the training camp may end up being a lot harder than the actual fight for Joshua if he winds up facing Eric Molina. Where’s the upside in fighting him? he only thing that I can see Joshua getting out of the Molina fight is him trying to do a better job than Wilder did in knocking him out.

It’s always easier for the fighter that comes after to improve on what has been done before, because you have a goal in beating the guy. Deontay didn’t have a goal going into the Molina fight other than knocking him out at some point. Joshua vs. Molina will be a nice little mismatch.

Hearn still plans on matching Joshua against Wladimir in early 2017. He thinks it can happen in March or April. We’ll see. Hearn is negotiating the Klitschko fight right now, and he hopes to have an announcement to be made soon for the fight.

“There will be an official announcement on Joshua v Klitschko coming very soon but for now we are seeking a new foe for December 10 and building a huge card for Manchester,” said Hearn.