The above statement, on IBF heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua, was not made by Eddie Hearn, but by his father, Barry Hearn. Still, regardless of who made the bold statement, it is just that – bold. Many people (myself included) see Joshua, 16-0(16) as a talented fighter with plenty of potential, but nothing more at this stage in his career. Look at Joshua’s record of opposition and you will see two, maybe three decent names. Until he beats an elite heavyweight – a Tyson Fury, a Wladimir Klitschko or a Deontay Wilder for example – the jury will still be out on how good, or great, as Hearn claims, Joshua really is.
But Hearn goes further, stating how he believes Joshua is already the best heavyweight in the world; right now, despite never having gone past seven-rounds and despite never having beaten a legitimate top-10 opponent who came to win (forget his title win over Charles Martin, no-one will ever convince that Martin really, truly came to win back in April).
“I think I’ve got the best heavyweight for the next ten years on the planet,” Hearn told Sky Sports. “I can’t see anyone beating him. Even as he is today, he’s the best heavyweight in the world. What he’s going to be like in two years’ time is frightening.”
Again, it’s all about potential with Joshua, how good he MIGHT be. Right now, we just don’t know. Dillian Whyte is the only man to have properly hit Joshua on the chin, and it was almost disaster time for A.J. To his credit, the then British title challenger showed heart and recovered to get a brutal KO win after the early scare, but what would have happened if a proven finisher, maybe a Wilder, had cracked him with that left hook to the jaw? Maybe we will get an answer to this question one day. The big fights are out there for Joshua, and his fans and supporters might say, ‘Give the guy a break, he’s still an improving fighter, he’s only had 16 fights.’ This is fine, but then should Hearn be making his bold claims? Joshua supporters can’t have it both ways.
Let’s see Joshua fight a Fury, a Wilder or even a Joseph Parker (who, with his gutsy points win over Carlos Takam, picked up a much bigger win than anything Joshua has on his resume) – until then, fans and experts can only speculate on how good Joshua might be. Who knows, Hearn may be proven right (and he did say in the interview that what he said are his thoughts and as such it is only his opinion and doesn’t really matter) one day. Currently, though, Joshua has done nothing remarkable in the pro ranks.