Eddie Hearn Says Anthony Joshua Is Not On The ‘Optimum Level’ To Beat Deontay Wilder, Tyson Fury

Eddie Hearn says Anthony Joshua likely wouldn’t beat Tyson Fury or Deontay Wilder at his current state.

Johsua returned to the win column on Saturday with a decision win over Jermaine Franklin in a lackluster performance, which he even admitted was bad. With that, Hearn says the plan is for Joshua to return and get another fight as they believe he needs to continue to gel with his new trainer.

“The general feeling is we need another fight, a step up from Franklin, but in order to gel and continue improving with Derrick James, we need another fight in the summer of that nature,” Hearn said on The MMA Hour. We also know that the Tyson Fury fight, whether that’s even possible, may be a summer fight and that might be the only chance, so it’s a difficult decision, because if we’re doing it with a view to keep improving and for longevity and to get him to his best then we should have another fight.

“Momentum is key for AJ. He’s boxed like twice a year, sometimes once a year through Covid, for the last three or four years,” Hearn added. “I want him to box in July, and then again in December. I think it’ll do him really good to have a couple of weeks off now, then go straight back to Texas with Derrick James. If we’re going to go into a Fury or a Wilder, which is inevitable, I just want him to go in with the best chance that he can have and I feel right now he’s not at the optimum level he could be to go into those fights.

“He would still go into them and I still would give him a chance in those fights and I believe he could win those fights, but I would just like to see him firing going into these fights and what I saw on Saturday was not Joshua firing on all cylinders,” Hearn concluded.

As of right now, it’s uncertain who Anthony Joshua will fight next but the plan is for him to fight in the summer. After that, perhaps he will be ready to face Wilder or Fury.

Who would you like to see Anthony Joshua fight next?