“Absolutely Bizarre This Fella!”: Eddie Hearn Slams Renowned American Author Thomas Hauser for Criticizing Anthony Joshua

Undoubtedly, ‘Anthony Joshua versus Otto Wallin: Day of Reckoning’ cooked up one of the biggest upsets in recent boxing history. Joseph Parker not only outboxed but also made Deontay Wilder look very ordinary. He took the American heavyweight the whole distance and won the co-main fight. Many probably expected Otto Wallin to follow suit as he went against ‘AJ.’

But a determined Joshua stuck to his game. He pummeled the Swedish heavyweight. Eventually, it forced Wallin’s team to opt for retirement after the fifth round. It was the third consecutive victory for the former unified heavyweight champion. Many voiced, witnessing a version of Anthony Joshua from bygone times. However, there remained a few, such as celebrated biographer and boxing columnist Thomas Hauser, who, besides feeling a bit disappointed by Deontay Wilder, felt what ‘AJ’ did barely skewed towards the exceptional. But Joshua’s longtime promoter, Eddie Hearn, would have none of it. He rubbished the International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee’s views on the heavyweight division.

Eddie Hearn counterpunches Thomas Hauser’s jab

“Absolutely bizarre, this fella!” wrote Eddie Hearn yesterday evening. Hauser, known for his close association with Muhammad Ali, had stated that he hardly knew Anthony Joshua. Hearn’s takedown centers on a piece Thomas Hauser wrote about ‘AJ’ back in May for The Guardian. The author of ‘Muhammad Ali: A Tribute to the Greatest’ recommended retirement for Joshua when a friend reportedly sought his opinion on the British heavyweight’s future.

Hearn wrote, “I don’t know Anthony well,” yet you called for him to retire because of’ mental damage’ in the ring.” Then the Matchroom honcho did not seem to have taken well on what Thomas Hauser felt about Anthony Joshua’s performance against Otto Wallin. Speaking to Ayman Khan on ‘Seconds Out,’ Ali’s co-recipient of the Haviva Reik Award said, “Anthony did what he was supposed to do against an ordinary heavyweight the same way that he did what he was supposed to do against Robert Helenius.”

So Eddie Hearn pointed out that Anthony Joshua fulfilled his undertakings, where many others had fallen short. “AJ ‘did what he was supposed to do’ yet others couldn’t. Have a vacation, Thomas!” he said.

Hearn’s broadside follows Thomas Hauser’s detailed write-up on the ‘Day of Reckoning’ in The Guardian. The latter spelled out a few specifics on the ‘Seconds Out’ podcast. He shared how Anthony Joshua wasn’t the centerpiece of the narrative of the big event in Riyadh. It was Deontay Wilder, especially after the terrible loss he suffered at the hands of Joseph Parker. Later, he mentioned how he liked Anthony Joshua. But the Hall of Fame writer also listed how the heavyweight division appeared so marked down.

Read More: “Shame On U”: Fans Outraged Over DAZN PPV’s Audio Issues During Anthony Joshua vs. Otto Wallin ‘Day of Reckoning’ Main Event

What’s your take on Thomas Hauser’s analysis? Please share your views with us in the comments below.

Watch This Story: Despite Their Eagerness to Fight, Saturday’s Day of Reckoning Fight Card Is a Make or Break Moment for Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder to Bring Their Fight to Fruition