By Charles Brun: Eddie Hearn was seething in an interview about the praise Deontay Wilder is receiving from fans, media & the oddsmakers, many of which are picking him over the timid, gun-shy shell of Anthony Joshua in their long-awaited showdown in January.
Hearn is in denial about what has happened to Joshua and resisting the reality of the situation. Joshua is a classic example of a shot fighter who can no longer pull the trigger on his punches like he used to.
Yeah, AJ won his fight last weekend against 39-year-old journeyman Robert Helenius, but it took him seven rounds to do it, and he took a lot of punishment along the way due to his timidness.
At this point, Joshua is a sad, shell-shocked caricature of the fighter he once was many years ago before he was ruined. Hearn has got to open his eyes, look at Joshua, and face the reality that he’s at the end.
This is it for the old warrior. AJ wasn’t mentally equipped for war like other fighters, who thrive and don’t mind putting themselves at risk.
Once Wilder knocks him into the next galaxy in January, it’ll be all over for Joshua, and no one can replace the golden goose in Hearn’s Matchoom stable.
Fans see Joshua (26-3, 23 KOs) as a mental basketcase, a fighter that has been wrecked from the horrors of ten years of being on the frontlines in war and can no longer fight with any intensity.
Eddie Hearn: “I cannot believe how highly people rate Deontay Wilder. He’s never beaten a top-five heavyweight. Luis Ortiz is his best win – he was getting smashed in the first fight and was 7-0 down in the second fight. He’s never beaten an elite heavyweight,” said Hearn to Boxing Social.
“He said I don’t see myself having three or four more years in this sport,” Hearn said about Anthony Joshua.
Gareth A. Davies: “He’s probably got three or four more fights.”
Hearn: “Two years, maybe four fights. So at this point, do you really care what people think? I mean, you’ve cared about it your whole career; you’ve given everybody everything; you’ve played the perfect game, the perfect Ambassador game to try and be a fantastic spokesman and an asset to British boxing.
“Now, just win. If he boxes like that and beats Deontay Wilder, everyone will be saying how sensible he is. To go in and start trading with Wilder like he used to, you’re just making it a pure 50-50.”
Gareth: “A lot of people think he should make it a shootout.”
Hearn: “But I don’t see the point. Why should he have a shoot-out when you can outbox him? He’s still got to be more active right, but he will outbox Wilder every day of the week.
Gareth: “But Wilder will get through with those horrible punches as well.”
Hearn: “Maybe, but what if he crosses his feet over and walks onto a right hand and gets knocked spark out?”
