Via Charles Brun: Eddie Hearn blew up his stack today in response to an innocuous article by Thomas Hauser, who said he believes Anthony Joshua should retire rather than move on and continue receiving punishment.
Hauser pointed out the obvious, saying that Joshua’s skills have deteriorated since his fight with Wladimir Klitschko in 2017 and that he is no longer as willing to rush into the trenches as he was back then to win.
At this point, AJ looks like he’s headed to Palookaville, and a game against Deontay Wilder in December could be the last straw to get him there.
If there’s any doubt as to whether Joshua (25-3, 22 KOs) is a pushover, then all you have to do is look at the fights over the past four years that he’s played. He has lost 3 of the last 6 matches.
Hauser’s reason why Joshua should retire:
- Changed coaches twice with no improvement
- Lost three of the last six games
- Faint performance against Franklin
- I don’t want to walk through fire anymore
- Owned generational wealth
In AJ’s final performance against second-weight heavyweight Jermaine Franklin, he looked timid, slow, and just a shell of the boxer he was a decade ago.
Joshua looks worse than the fight against Franklin, and one can only cringe at the thought of what Wilder or Tyson Fury will do to him. It’s hard to understand half of what Joshua is saying, but it can be worn after those two pass him.
“You talk about retirement. Thomas Hauser needs to retire,” Eddie Hearn told boxing society in response to Hauser saying that 33-year-old Anthony Joshua should retire.
“I just find it weird that you can lose to Oleksandr Usyk in a split decision, go back and win almost every round against Jermaine Franklin, and then be like, ‘You have to retire now. ‘ What the hell are these people talking about?
“Dillian Whyte fights against Jermaine Franklin. No one ever said Dillian Whyte should retire. AJ is about to face Deontay Wilder in one of the biggest fights of all time, and he should retire.
“Show me the damage he took in a fight, the heavyweight fights that Anthony Joshua went through. I find it disrespectful that you are writing an article about brain damage and the dangers of boxing and involving Anthony Joshua and talking about Muhammad Ali and the trauma he has suffered.
“Have you ever seen Anthony Joshua in a match where he was constantly punished?
“Some of these guys are in boxing, you have to respect people who have been around for a long time and I would never speak ill of those types of people, and sometimes people don’t. They think they sit above others because of the time they have served in the sport.
Hearn said: “If AJ comes out in a skirmish with Franklin and it looks like his ability to withstand punches is gone, then I get it.
