Barry Hearn, father of course of Eddie Hearn, is convinced IBF heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua is not only the real deal but also just about unbeatable. Hearn, speaking with Sky Sports News HQ, says he sees only one winner on April 29, when Joshua, 18-0(18) will face former champ Wladimir Klitschko, 64-4(53) in a bout that will also contest the vacant WBA heavyweight title.
And Hearn says he hopes to see Joshua see out a tremendous 2017 with a massive Las Vegas super-fight against WBC heavyweight king Deontay Wilder (who returns to action against big underdog Andrzej Wawrzyk on February 25 but has said a number of times how he wants to fight the Joshua-Klitschko winner).
“Wladimir Klitschko stands in his way on April 29 and I think it’s going to be a very painful night for Mr. Klitschko, because I don’t know how you defend [against] or how you beat Anthony Joshua. Too physically strong, too fast, and he hits too hard,” Hearn said. “But the fight for me to close out the year would be Deontay Wilder against Joshua in one of those barnstorming Las Vegas night.”
Indeed, the winner of Joshua-Klitschko against Tyson Fury aside (assuming the former, unbeaten champ will make a return), there is no bigger fight in the heavyweight division that the April 29 winner against “Bronze Bomber” Wilder. And if it took place in Las Vegas – the way all the massive and the not so massive heavyweight fights once did – all the better.
But is Hearn doing Klitschko a big disservice by stating how the former champ will be experiencing a “painful night” in April? What will happen if Joshua, still incredibly untested at the top level, gets cracked by a huge “Steel Hammer” right hand? Maybe then it will be AJ who is on the receiving end of some serious pain.
And if Klitschko – by far the most experienced and formidable opponent of Joshua’s entire career – does win in April, he will be spoiling a lot of plans regarding Team-Joshua’s future.