Hearn Says AJ-Ngannou Bigger Than Fury-Usyk, Joshua Accused Of Avoiding Wilder

In some boxing news, Eddie Hearn has talked up an Anthony Joshua fight against Francis Ngannou by claiming that the fight is much bigger than Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk.

Such a statement is a bold claim, given that neither Joshua nor Ngannou possess any belts. Meanwhile, the Fury-Usyk bout is for all the belts, with the winner becoming the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in a case of two undefeated fighters.

Although that may be the case, Ngannou’s stock has risen exponentially following the Fury fight. The former UFC heavyweight champion dropped Fury in the third round, with many believing he had done enough to get the win.

And since both fighters are known for their knockout power, Hearn felt the fight was much more of a spectacle, given Fury’s poor performance.

Hearn On AJ-Ngannou

“I’m not putting all my eggs in one basket saying, ‘Oh, we must fight Francis Ngannou.’ If that fight came to AJ now, which is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, fight in the whole of boxing, my advice to Anthony Joshua is to take that fight. One, he [Joshua] beats him [Francis] comfortably, and two, it’s massive. I don’t think Fury-Usyk is. AJ against Ngannou is a bigger fight than Fury-Usyk, in my opinion. AJ against Fury is arguable, but Fury is contracted to fight Usyk, so it can’t even happen. I wish it did. I’ll tell you something right now. AJ knocks out Tyson Fury,” Hearn

Despite this being the case, those comments summed up the frustration surrounding Joshua’s next move. There are suggestions that the Brit is avoiding the biggest fights, as a bout with Deontay Wilder would arguably resonate more with fans.

The latter’s trainer, Malik Scott, was once again very vocal about his perception that Joshua was not doing enough to make the fight. And since both boxers could have fought for undisputed at one point, the news did not go down very well.

Scott On Hearn

“It doesn’t matter to AJ if he fights Deontay Wilder. It matters to Deontay if he fights Anthony Joshua because Deontay is a man of legacy; he’s a man of history books chasing greatness. AJ doesn’t campaign for the fight. Deontay has called him out humbly; he has called him out violently.

“He has called him out after fights, and he’s called him out before fights.AJ has given interviews and acted like he’s scared to say the man’s name. It’s like the commentators have to pull it out of him. He’d rather come out with imaginary quotes like he’s carrying this heavyweight division on his back. How? Where is this coming from?” Scott

In reality, Joshua is no closer to securing a world title shot. And fights that could generate the most sums appear to be focus. While boxers are ultimately prize fighters, there is a question of how long AJ can pacify the fans with this approach.