Eddie Hearn has once again sparked conversations in the boxing world with his latest critique of Anthony Joshua. His comments, centered on a critical moment during Joshua’s recent fight, have stirred up opinions on what could have been done differently.
Anthony Joshua vs Dubois
Joshua’s match with Daniel Dubois at Wembley was highly anticipated, with 96,000 spectators filling the stadium to witness the two British fighters go head-to-head.
The crowd was electric, expecting nothing short of a dramatic showdown between the heavyweights. And while the fight ended in a quick and decisive victory for Dubois, one particular moment has caught the attention of many, including Hearn.
During the fifth round, Dubois landed what seemed to be a low blow on Joshua. The referee, Marcus McDonnell, immediately paused the bout, as the punch left Joshua visibly in discomfort. According to boxing rules, fighters are allowed up to five minutes to recover from such incidents. This is where Hearn’s criticism comes in.
Eddie Hearn Words
Rather than taking the full time to gather himself and recover, Anthony Joshua made the decision to continue without hesitation. For Hearn, this was a rookie mistake for a seasoned fighter like Joshua. He believes that Joshua’s refusal to take the time for recovery showed inexperience in handling the situation, according to Daily Mail.
Hearn argued that Anthony Joshua should have used the opportunity to recover fully, as the low blow clearly affected his ability to stand up properly. In hindsight, Hearn suggests that taking those few extra minutes might have altered the course of the fight.
“That is actually a little bit of inexperience [from Joshua],” Hearn was quoted as saying by Metro UK.
“At that point when he couldn’t stand up, he’s been hit full blown in the conkers, all he’s got to do to the ref is [say] but that is not him.
“He just went to the ref, ‘I’m fine, come on, let’s go’.”
In a related report by Sportsbuddy, Anthony Joshua opens up about considering retirement from boxing following his recent defeat.
