Anthony Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, believes that if the Nigerian-born British boxer can be more “aggressive” he would defeat American heavyweight boxer Deontay Wilder.
The two former heavyweight champions are expected to face off in Saudi Arabia in early 2024 if the ongoing negotiations are sealed this summer.
Since Anthony Joshua’s back-to-back defeats at the hands of Ukrainian heavyweight boxer, Oleksandr Usyk, most pundits have lost faith in the British boxer.
Even when he defeated Jermaine Franklin in April on points, his critics were not convinced of his ability to keep competing against the best in the game.
On August 12, Anthony Joshua knocked out a Finn boxer Robert Helenius which sparked optimism that the Briton still got the energy that made him a two-time world champion earlier in his career.
But can he defeat Deontay Wilder if they clash in 2024? That has been the debate that has gained more prominence since Joshua knocked out Helenius last weekend.
As expected, Hearn who is the chairman of Matchroom Boxing, has submitted that Wilder will lose to the former two-time heavyweight champion in the proposed matchup.
“I think if he can be a little bit more aggressive with the style that he’s adopted, with the way he’s improved his feet, his movement, his defence, his distance – I think he’s gonna be, it’s difficult to say unbeatable, but I think he beats everyone. I’m so confident he beats Deontay Wilder,” Hearn told Boxing Social.
Meanwhile, Hearn said his company is not contemplating any other opponents for Anthony Joshua and that Deontay Wilder is the company’s next fight for the Briton. However, if the fight fails to happen, the 33-year-old Briton will compete against a different opponent in December