Eddie Hearn gets really upset talking about the ‘disgrace’ of the Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua undercard.
Eddie Hearn has called the undercard for the big Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury fight a “disgrace,” sharing what he thinks is wrong with the fight lineup.
In less than a month, Joshua and Fury will finally face each other at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on December 11 to settle who is the best British heavyweight of this generation. The fight will be streamed live on Netflix, starting early Saturday morning for US viewers, with the main event starting around 1 a.m. after three undercard fights.
The first undercard fight announced features Deontay Wilder going up against the unbeaten Jai Opetaia. Wilder is returning to the ring after beating Derek Chisora in April, while Opetaia is moving up to heavyweight after dominating at cruiserweight.
Next, Martin Bakole, who is the younger brother of former cruiserweight world champ Ilunga Makabu, will fight Nigerian Solomon Adebayo. Then Da’mazion Vanhouter, a hopeful American heavyweight, will take on Belgian Michael Essomba.
Many fans were not impressed with the undercard, and Eddie Hearn has also spoken out, calling it a “disgrace” that no British fighters are included.
“I think the undercard for Joshua vs. Fury is a disgrace. It is. I don’t care — I’m just being honest,” Hearn told Boxing Central. “The truth is, the only British fighter I have for the televised undercard is Joe Cordina, and even then, I’m not sure. You can’t have the biggest British fight ever without one British fighter on the main undercard.”
Despite the complaints about the undercard, Wilder vs. Opetaia is seen as the most exciting matchup. Wilder, known as the ‘Bronze Bomber,’ is famous for his knockout power and wants to prove he still belongs at the top.
However, Wilder’s skills have dropped over the last few years. He’s lost two of his last four fights and hasn’t beaten a top contender since 2019. After beating Wilder twice, Tyson Fury recently said Wilder should have retired by now.
“It’s really sad for Deontay,” Fury said in an interview. “He shouldn’t still be fighting. He’s been through a lot, and he looks like he’s past it. He should have stopped after I beat him last. If you’re getting knocked out by people you should knock out, it’s time to walk away.”
Fury also pointed out how weak Wilder looked in his recent fight with Chisora, saying Wilder’s knockout power is gone and he didn’t even react to punches that used to hurt him.
Overall, the undercard might not be perfect, but there’s still some interesting fights to watch before the big Joshua vs. Fury showdown.