"Ruined all my plans". Hearn is shocked by what happened at a boxing event in Riyadh

Maksym Inshakov Sport24.12.2023 16:37

The famous promoter could not contain his emotions

The head of the Matchroom Boxing promotional company Eddie Hearn is shocked by the defeat of Deontay Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs) by Joseph Parker (34-3, 23 KOs) at a boxing night in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia). According to Hearn, this ruined all his plans to organize a superfight between Joshua and Wilder.

"Deontay lost 120-108, he lost every round. He raised his hand and told the referee that he won the fight. But the reality is different. It was the most one-sided heavyweight fight I've ever seen. He had no power at the end of the fight. Listen, it ruined all our plans. The future is not for Deontay Wilder. I'm happy for Joseph Parker and [his trainer] Andy Lee," the Independent quoted Hearn as saying.

''Ruined all my plans''. Hearn is shocked by what happened at a boxing event in Riyadh

According to British media reports, Joshua's immediate future will probably now include a fight with undefeated Croatian Filip Hrgovic, who brutally knocked out Marc de Mori in the first round on the undercard in Riyadh.

There's a chance that the fight could even be for the IBF title, as Hrgovic is currently a mandatory fight for the belt belonging to Oleksandr Usyk, but Usyk decided to fight Tyson Fury in a unification bout instead.

This means that whoever wins the Fury vs Usyk fight in February could very well lose the belt immediately afterwards if he chooses the expected rematch over the less lucrative Hrgovic, which would give the Croatian the opportunity to fight Joshua.

"2024 will be an important year for him [Joshua]. It was a tough decision, between the championship and Wilder, we signed a contract with Wilder, he lost, it's okay. Maybe it's a blessing. This guy dreams of championships, he wants to become a three-time world champion. Wallin was the second seed. Hrgovic will fight AJ for the world title," Hearn added.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, Joshua defeated Swede Otto Wallin (26-1, 14 KOs. The 12-round fight at the Kingdom Arena ended after the 5th three minutes with a technical knockout).