Eddie Hearn admits Anthony Joshua needs longer to ‘gel with Derrick James’

Eddie Hearn says Anthony Joshua would benefit from some more fine-tuning in the gym and some extra quality time with Derrick James before facing Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder.

Joshua proclaimed WBC champion Fury after beating Jermaine Franklin via unanimous decision at the O2 Arena on April 1. He also spoke of his desire to face Wilder before hanging up his gloves.

However, Hearn’s AJ thinks he needs more time to deal with Derrick James after the Franklin fight went the distance – with the judges scoring 118-111, 117-111, 117-111 in favor of the former two-time world champion.

Hearn, who previously admitted that AJ needed to be more aggressive against Franklin, said Joshua “should have one more fight with a level slightly above Jermaine” before taking on Fury or Wilder.

Hearn’s comments came shortly after Joshua rrevealed that he will not fight again until December.

AJ defeated American heavyweight Jermaine Franklin via unanimous decision on April 1 at the O2

Joshua proclaimed WBC champion Fury after beating the American via unanimous decision. AJ also spoke about his desire to face Wilder before hanging up his gloves

“I think Dillian Whyte is a great option,” Hearn said in an interview with The DAZN boxing show. “It’s a dangerous fight. I think that’s a good fight. There are other guys in the top-15.

“You better be honest and say, ‘Look, this is where we are.’ I need him to have another fight with a level slightly above Jermaine Franklin, gel with Derrick James, hopefully go in there with a little more confidence to prepare him for Fury or Wilder.”

The Matchroom promoter recently revealed that Bob Arum had contacted him to inquire about rescheduling a Battle of Britain clash between AJ and Fury this summer.

When asked if Joshua would be interested in taking that fight, despite claiming the 33-year-old won’t return to the ring until December, Hearn said: “We’re not ruling that out.

He continued, “When a big offer comes in or a big site comes in [we will take the fight right away]- unlikely in July. But I just want to see real momentum [from Joshua].

“People need to understand, when you talk about desire, literally this guy still has so much desire after the fight. All he has done is analyze his performance, talk to people, watch.

Part of him enjoyed Saturday night because he came back in winning ways. He hasn’t won in almost three years. You can hype it as much as you want.

“I will tell the media that if I lose, my career is over.” He knew deep down that his career was over if he lost that fight. I’m so sorry I didn’t take too many risks in that fight.’

However, Hearn thinks the AJ needs more time to learn with Derrick James after the Franklin fight went the distance – with the judges scoring it 118-111, 117-111, 117-111 for Joshua

Hearn, who previously admitted that AJ needed to be more aggressive against Franklin, said Joshua “should have another fight with a level slightly above Jermaine” before Fury

Hearn’s comments come shortly after Joshua rrevealed he won’t fight again until December after previously teasing a big summer showdown with Whyte of Fury.

Joshua spoke of his intention to return to the ring soon after his victory over Franklin at the O2 on April 1. However, he has since confirmed that it will be eight months before he will return to action.

My next fight is scheduled for December. Not ideal, but everything is part of a bigger picture,” Joshua wrote on Instagram.

Joshua is said to have suffered a nose injury during his victory over Franklin, although it is currently unknown if this played a role in delaying his next fight.