Eddie Hearn Confident Anthony Joshua Will Challenge Tyson Fury for WBC Heavyweight Title

Eddie Hearn Confident Anthony Joshua Will Challenge Tyson Fury for WBC Heavyweight Title

Eddie Hearn, Anthony Joshua’s promoter, has expressed his confidence that the British boxer will want to challenge Tyson Fury for the WBC heavyweight title if the opportunity presents itself. However, Hearn also acknowledged that facing Fury in his next bout may not be the best move for Joshua's development with his new trainer, Derrick James.

After defeating Jermaine Franklin on all three scorecards on Saturday night, Joshua’s first fight with James in his corner, Hearn admitted that there is still plenty of room for improvement. While Joshua is keen to take on Fury, Hearn said it was important to get the right balance between the opponent and how much the fight will generate in terms of viewership and revenue.

Hearn believes that if Joshua does not fight a more challenging opponent than Franklin in his next fight, the paying public’s patience may be tested. Dillian Whyte, Joshua’s British rival, is eager for a rematch, but it remains unclear who Joshua will face in the second of what he hopes will be three fights in 2023.

Hearn said, “I don’t think the public are necessarily gonna want him to have another two fights at the Jermaine Franklin level. They’re gonna wanna see him step up. If that’s Dillian Whyte, if that’s Tyson Fury, if that’s [Deontay] Wilder. And, you know, those guys will fancy their chances against AJ because they’ll think, ‘Oh, you know, there’s a chance that he’s not the fighter that he was,’ etcetera, etcetera. But I think AJ will box better against a high level of opposition, particularly people that are coming to win.”

Although Hearn feels Joshua needs more time with James before facing Fury, he is confident that Joshua will ultimately take the challenge. The heavyweight division has been eagerly awaiting this match-up, and fans are hoping that it will happen soon. In the meantime, Joshua will continue to work on his skills, and we can expect to see him face tougher opponents in the coming months.