Is Anthony Joshua ready for Klitschko?

09/27/2016 James Slater

After having had just 17 pro fights and having not yet gone past the 7th-round, it would be a huge gamble for Anthony Joshua to take on the ultra-experienced Wladimir Klitschko in his very next fight. But, because of the unfortunate Tyson Fury situation – what with Fury “lower than ever” and suffering from mental health problems – this is a gamble that could well be taken.

IBF heavyweight champ Joshua will box again on November 26, and promoter Eddie Hearn has been in touch with the Klitschko camp, asking them if the fight could happen. In all likelihood, it will not take place in November, but stranger things have happened and Joshua has said he’d like the fight – if not next then early next year. But is AJ ready for Klitschko?

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Eddie Hearn has “reached out” to Team-Klitschko; Joshua-Klitschko a possibility

09/25/201609/24/2016 James Slater

Fight fans have almost certainly heard by now how the scheduled October 29 rematch between Tyson Fury and Wladimir Klitschko is off, due to the heavyweight champion being “medically unfit to fight.” There is talk of Fury suffering from mental issues, but nothing has been confirmed and Fury is of course entitled to his privacy. We wish him well.

But the boxing world moves on and now that Fury-Klitschko II is off for the time being at least (it’s almost a full year now since Fury upset Klitschko to take the titles in Germany) there have been moves to try and make another huge fight involving Wladimir. Promoter Eddie Hearn, who of course looks after reigning IBF champ Anthony Joshua, has conformed that he “reached out” to Berndt Boente, Klitschko’s manager, with the idea of making a Klitschko-Joshua fight.

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Hearn says Joseph Parker is “most likely” for shot at Joshua in November, says Hughie Fury is “unlikely”

09/23/2016 James Slater

There have been a few stories floating around regarding who IBF heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua might fight in his upcoming defence on November 26. With Hughie Fury’s October 29 fight with Andy Ruiz Jr now off, Fury was a possible option for Joshua’s upcoming defence – and Peter Fury has said on twitter that his son would definitely take the fight, and that he himself would accept it if the money was right.

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Jarrell Miller: Of course I would fight Anthony Joshua and break his face in half

09/21/2016 James Slater

Fans will hopefully find out next week who IBF heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua will be fighting in his second title defence, set for November 26. Promoter Eddie Hearn tweeted how the opponent will be revealed week commencing Sept 26 (next Monday) – and one fighter who says he would take the fight and “break Anthony Joshua’s face in half,” is unbeaten New Yorker Jarrell Miller.

Speaking with Sky Sports, “Big Baby,” as the 18-0-1(16) contender is known, says he should have been on the short-list to next challenge A.J, along with Kubrat Pulev, Bermane Stiverne and Joseph Parker. Miller has been calling Joshua out for some time now and he is certain he has too much heart for the 17-0(17) Londoner.

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Anthony Joshua: If I beat Wilder, they’ll say he’s s**t

09/16/2016 James Slater

Unbeaten heavyweight star (some say future superstar) Anthony Joshua says he is finding it hard getting respect. Already a huge name in the UK, Joshua’s many fans pay to see him fight, fully expecting him to win by KO, and then afterwards the critics say Joshua merely bowled over an opponent he was always going to beat anyway. This is how A.J, 17-0(17) and yet to be extended beyond the 7th-round, says he feels.

Speaking with City AM, the IBF heavyweight champ who is now in training for his second title defence, set for November 26 in Manchester, says it is tough when people are comparing him to the likes of Tyson, Ali and Holyfield.

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Eddie Hearn: They all want a fortune! – promoter says it’s tough getting a foe for Joshua’s November defence

09/11/201609/10/2016 James Slater

Promoter Eddie Hearn has important matters at middleweight to deal with at the moment – namely his fighter Kell Brook’s audacious challenge for the world title against Gennady Golovkin tonight at The O2 – but the Matchroom boss is also working on the next fight for IBF heavyweight ruler Anthony Joshua. Joshua, 17-0(17) will fight in Manchester on November 26th, but so far Hearn has not been able to nail down the opponent.

Speaking with The Express, Hearn said that all three shortlisted challengers: Kubrat Pulev, Bermane Stiverne and IBF mandatory challenger Joseph Parker, are asking for “a fortune.” As a result, Hearn admits it’s been hard getting the opponent nailed down.

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Huge plans for Anthony Joshua’s next three fights; culminating with Wembley fight against Fury, Haye or Wilder next summer

09/02/201609/01/2016 James Slater

Promoter Eddie Hearn fully expects, as do plenty of other people, Anthony Joshua to become a boxing superstar in the near future, and there are big plans in store for the reigning IBF heavyweight champion. First up, Joshua, 17-0(17) will make the second defence of his belt in either November or December, then there will be defence number three in March and then, next summer at Wembley, Joshua will possibly fight a massive fight against either Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder or David Haye.

Hearn spoke of these plans with Sky Sports:

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Heavyweight triple-header a possibility for Cardiff: Joshua-Pulev, Parker-Price, Chisora-Whyte!

08/30/2016 James Slater

If Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn pulls this off he will be a guaranteed Promoter of The Year award winner in Britain this year. The big plans that are currently underway are for THREE big heavyweight fights to take place on the same night in Cardiff, Wales in either November or December of this year.

According to a news piece in The Mail, Hearn is working, along with others, on staging Anthony Joshua’s second title defence, Joseph Parker against David Price and Dereck Chisora against Dillian Whyte, all at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium. The word now is Bulgaria’s Kubrat Pulev, the current European heavyweight champion, is the frontrunner to land the shot at IBF boss Joshua. This fight, a solid match-up that could well provide A.J with his stiffest pro test thus far in his career, would be supported in fine style if the other two in-the-works match-ups get made.

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Eddie Hearn says David Price won’t get Joshua shot in November; likes the idea of Price-Joseph Parker in a final eliminator

08/25/201608/24/2016 James Slater

It’s still not clear who IBF heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua will be defending his belt against on November 26, but it will definitely not be David Price. Promoter Eddie Hearn had some air time on Sky Sports today, and he repeated the three “most likely” names for Joshua’s next bout: Kubrat Pulev, Bermane Stiverne and Joseph Parker, who is of course Joshua’s mandatory challenger.

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Anthony Joshua will fight November 26th, opponent and venue to be revealed soon says Hearn

08/22/2016 James Slater

Anthony Joshua, who was a pumped up analyst at the Rio Olympics, giving his expert opinion on many of the boxing bouts, is now pumped up for his own upcoming fight. Eddie Hearn has announced how the IBF heavyweight champ will fight on November 26th; the venue and opponent will be announced in the coming days. But for the first time in quite a while, Joshua will not be fighting at The O2 in London.

The upcoming venue is interesting, maybe it will be Manchester, maybe Liverpool (“We are changing city,” Joshua said), but the main thing that interests fans is who the challenger will be.

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