Anthony Joshua boxing news and latest headlines
Heavyweight legend George Foreman was a guest of honour in London over the weekend, meeting and greeting those fans of his who were lucky enough to attend. And while he visited London, “Big” George paid Londoner Anthony Joshua, the reigning IBF heavyweight champ, some very big compliments.
Foreman is often guilty of saying nice things to nice people, but the former two-time king of kings does seem to genuinely rate Joshua very highly; this despite AJ being just 17-0(17) as a pro right now.
Retired heavyweight great Lennox Lewis believes Wladimir Klitschko’s vast experience will prove too much for Anthony Joshua if the two meet next spring as is a strong possibility. Speaking with Sky Sports News HQ, Lewis said he favours 40-year-old Klitschko to beat 27-year-old Joshua, but only “slightly.”
“I would have to say Wladimir [wins] because of the experience,” Lewis said. “We have seen a lot of Anthony Joshua’s fights but he has knocked out everybody so what has he learned?
Eric Molina has been the frontrunner to challenge reigning IBF heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua for a few days now and fans will not be at all surprised to see the Mexican/American in the ring with Joshua in Manchester on Dec 10. Yet so far there has still been no official confirmation from Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn.
Yet the fight is up on BoxRec and it seems we will see Molina tackling the 17-0(17) star next. What kind of a fight will it be? Molina, still judged my a number of people by the loss he suffered to Chris Arreola over four years ago, is sick of telling people he has improved since then, when he was inexperienced and it showed. Stopped in the 1st-round (after stunning Arreola himself with a good shot to the head) Molina has had a tough time making people forget about this defeat, but is Molina, 25-3(19) a different fighter today?
As fight fans are no doubt aware, Anthony Joshua will not be fighting Wladimir Klitschko on Dec 10. Due to, officially, a “minor” injury suffered by Klitschko, the two heavyweights will now look at fighting in the UK, in a big stadium, next spring some time. By then the 41 year-old Klitschko will not have fought for around 17 months.
In the meantime, Eddie Hearn says he is now back to square one, as far as looking to find a suitable challenger for IBF ruler AJ. Hearn told Sky Sports yesterday evening that he is now working on building a “huge card for Manchester.” After all they’ve been through, with promised big fights falling through, maybe the fans deserve a great card, stacked from top to bottom with good fights. Let’s hope Eddie can deliver. But who will it be in the opposite corner to Joshua, 17-0(17) on Dec 10?
Thanks to the man who has all the boxing news, Dan Rafael of ESPN.com, we now know Wladimir Klitschko will definitely NOT be fighting IBF heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua on December 10; nor will the 40-year-old ex-champ be squaring up with anyone on that date. Klitschko, who has had a history of pulling out of/delaying fights due to injury, has picked up another one; apparently to his calf.
With Anthony Joshua’s next fight, set for December 10, still up in the air opponent-wise, a number of name heavyweights are calling for the next shot at the reigning IBF heavyweight title holder. With no decision yet given by the WBA with regards to whether or not the organisation will sanction a Wladimir Klitschko-Joshua fight, promoter Eddie Hearn has already been eyeing potential replacement foes for his fighter.
And two men who have thrown their hat into the ring are Mexican/American Eric Molina, and fellow Brit David Price. At one point in time it looked as though Price and Molina would fight each other on the Joshua under-card in Manchester – and this intriguing fight could still happen – but now both contenders want AJ next.
Promoter Eddie Hearn is frustrated right now, and he is not at all convinced the fight that appeared so close to being made – Wladimir Klitschko Vs. Anthony Joshua – will actually happen this December as was planned/hoped. Speaking with Sky Sports this afternoon, Hearn said he is now waiting on the WBA, who will make a decision soon as to whether or not they will sanction Joshua against Klitschko.
Hearn, though, said he is “not hopeful,” and spoke of the growing rumours that suggest “Dr. Steel Hammer” will be back operating against Australia’s Lucas Browne on Dec 10 instead of against AJ.
With the seemingly close – in fact, tantalisingly so – Anthony Joshua-Wladimir Klitschko fight now looking doubtful due to the WBA’s indecision on sanctioning the fight, promoter Eddie Hearn has again began looking for the reigning IBF champ’s next challenger. Joshua, 17-0(17) will fight as planned on December 10 in Manchester, “with or without Wladimir Klitschko.”
The big, anticipated heavyweight title fight between former champ Wladimir Klitschko and reigning IBF titlist Anthony Joshua has hit a road bump in the form of the WBA not yet sanctioning the proposed December fight. Eddie Hearn, in speaking with Sky Sports today, explained how both fighters want the WBA belt to be on the line in the fight and until the organisation goes ahead and sanctions Klitschko-Joshua, the promoter says he will look at “alternative options” for AJ and his next fight.
It seems fans can, at the very least, pencil the date of December 10 in their diary, with the date underlined for a massive heavyweight event. Eddie Hearn, speaking with BBC Radio 5 Live, said that the deal between the two fighters “is there” and that all that needs to be sorted out now is the sanctioning requests. Hearn said that as long as the governing bodies are happy, the fight WILL go ahead, likely in Manchester, this December.