“Lacked a Little Bit of Confidence”: Eddie Hearn Remains Brutally Honest About Anthony Joshua’s Performance Against Jermaine Franklin

Anthony Joshua stepped into the ring on April 1 after almost a year. The former unified Heavyweight champion fought Jermaine Franklin at the O2 arena in London in one of the most anticipated comeback fights of the 33-year-old. Even though Joshua prevailed in the bout via unanimous decision, his performance inside the ring raised many questions among the fans and the boxing community. Amid all the chaos, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn presented his brutally honest opinion on the former champ’s performance against Franklin. Notably, this was Joshua’s first fight since his second loss to Oleksandr Usyk last year.

Recently, in an interview, Eddie Hearn gave an honest analysis of Joshua’s fight with Franklin. He shared his opinion on where Joshua could have worked more.

Eddie Hearn’s honest opinion on AJ vs Franklin

In an interview with IFL TV, the British promoter opened up on Joshua’s fight against Franklin. He did not hesitate to find areas where Joshua could’ve done better. Joshua’s fans worldwide awaited this fight to see him lay the first step on the ladder to the top.

Despite the win, Hearn did not seem impressed by Joshua’s performance. He said, “Solid. The defense was good, not enough offense. When he did, it was good. Fortunately, Jermaine Franklin has got a great chin. It was a tough start from him.” He further pointed out Franklin’s defensive play in the beginning. Hearn added, “I think he went into his shell and tried to survive in the backend of the fight.”

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The 43-year-old further pointed out what he thought was lacking in AJ. He said, “AJ lacked a little bit of confidence. Didn’t try out the combinations. Didn’t work hard on the inside.” Hearn explained what they needed to focus on and said, “We need to get some momentum going with the trainer.” He further concluded his analysis with a one-liner. “Solid win, solid but not spectacular,” said Hearn. The promoter gave Joshua’s overall performance a seven out of 10 on his scoreboard.

Eddie Hearn on potential Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua fight

One Heavyweight fight highly anticipated among the fans is the clash of Anthony Joshua and WBC Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury after Joshua’s win over Franklin. The fans might be expecting the duo to fight. But, Anthony Joshua revealed a major hurdle for the fruition of this fight.

When asked about the Fury and Joshua fight, Hearn responded, “some fights come up once in a career. Right now, there’ll be an opportunity to make the Tyson Fury. But, he [Joshua] will be the underdog in the fight. But at the same time. He’ll raise his performance against better opposition.”A fight for the two is not off the table but the fans will have to wait for any official announcement before getting their hopes too high.

Read More: Anthony Joshua’s Explanation for Recent Boxing Performance Marred by Factually Incorrect Comparison to Mike Tyson

What is your take on AJ vs Franklin? Who do you think should AJ fight next? Tell us in the comments below.

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