Author: Sean Close
“The battle is over.”
Promoter Eddie Hearn announced that any doubts about former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua facing fellow former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder have been put to rest. It was previously planned for the two super heavyweights to fight in Saudi Arabia this year. Unfortunately, Wilder was defeated by another former heavyweight titlist, Joseph Parker, in late December. Despite this, Hearn expressed that Wilder’s recent performance has been lackluster, leading to a loss of interest in the fight from Joshua and himself.
Hearn expressed his opinion on Wilder, stating that he is not in the same league as Joshua and has not defeated any notable opponents. Despite the disappointment with the failed fight against Wilder, Hearn shared that Team Joshua is currently in negotiations for three big fights and has the ultimate goal of regaining the top position in the heavyweight division by facing the winner of Tyson Fury vs. Olexandr Usyk. However, given Usyk’s recent victories over Joshua, a rematch is likely to take place before the opportunity to face Fury or Usyk arises for Joshua.
Despite the challenges ahead, Hearn remains confident in Joshua’s abilities and is focused on keeping the momentum going. He emphasized the importance of continuing to win and expressed optimism about the potential of a significant match between Joshua and Fury in the future, especially if Fury secures a victory against Usyk.
