Promoter Eddie Hearn denied today the reports that Anthony Joshua will fight Martin Bakole or Deontay Wilder next. Hearn said he’s “not had one conversation about Joshua, 35, fighting Bakole next.
The way Hearn said it, you could tell that he will NEVER let AJ anywhere near Bakole in a million years and have him finish what’s left of his sinking career. Joshua has made a fortune with the careful matchmaking Hearn has done for him for him.
No Bakole, Says Hearn
It makes sense that Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) isn’t fighting the dangerous knockout Bakole (21-1, 16 KOs) because his chances of winning would be nil.
Bakole looked like Sonny Liston with how he dispatched America’s best heavyweight hope, Jared Anderson, in five rounds on August 3rd in Los Angeles. He was throwing short arm punches with no wind-up, and that’s all it took to KO Jared. Where does Bakole fight that power?
Joshua was cleaned out in five rounds in his last fight by IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois on September 21st, which ruined Hearn’s four-fight rebuild job he’d done with him in a futile attempt to restore him to the vintage factory form that he had when he turned pro in 2013.
Hearn has not said anything about investing in another rebuilding job for AJ, so it looks like he’ll focus on the best-paying, winnable fight for Joshua. At this point, that would be 39-year-old Deontay Wilder.
Joshua can probably still win that fight as long as the 6’7″ former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay doesn’t unholster his right hand to use it against him. If Wilder lands that punch, AJ will be done for the night, no matter what round.
Hearn’s Denial
“The latest one that someone sent me on Saturday, saying, ‘Anthony Joshua vs. Martin Bakole is done, signed.’ We have not had one conversation about that fight,” said Eddie Hearn to Matchroom Boxing, denying the reports that the former two-time heavyweight champion Joshua is facing the dangerous puncher Bakole next.
“I’m not ruling it out, by the way, but it’s never even been a conversation,” Hearn continued. “So, I don’t know where that came from.
“I saw one last night, ‘Wilder-Joshua is done for June 7th.’ I’ve not had one conversation about that fight. I spoke to AJ for the first time yesterday in a few weeks, and he’s actually in real good spirits.”
NOT TRUE ❌ @anthonyjoshua
Full interview out now: https://t.co/mllVWcN2Th pic.twitter.com/dLFrgFvxtC
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) February 5, 2025
Last Updated on 02/05/2025
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