Eddie Hearn apparently has no patience these days for anyone lampooning the frontrunner to become Anthony Joshua’s next opponent.
Jermaine Franklin, the heavyweight contender from Saginaw, Michigan, is slated to face London’s Joshua, the former unified heavyweight champion, in April.
Promoted by Dmitry Salita, the 29-year-old Franklin made a name for himself last November, when he faced veteran Dillian Whyte. Franklin lost a majority decision over 12 rounds, but many felt that he did well enough to earn at least a draw or even a win.
Now his efforts will be rewarded with a shot at one of the biggest names in the sport in Joshua, who, despite two straight losses to unified champion Oleksandr Usyk, remains a major sporting star in his homeland of England.
Hearn, who has promoted Joshua for his entire professional career, took issue with critics who have derided the choice of Franklin as a “comeback” opponent for Joshua.
“The haters go, ‘Jermaine Franklin? Oh, what a [bad] fight,’” Hearn told The DAZN Boxing Show. “At the same time those same haters say that Jermaine Franklin won the fight against Dillian Whyte by three or four rounds. F— me. You can’t have it [both ways]. So what? So, he didn’t win that fight? That wasn’t a great performance by Jermaine Franklin? Apparently, Anthony Joshua has no confidence. He’s a shot fighter. He’s finished, but he’s coming off those defeats to fight a guy that you said just beat Dillian Whyte by three or four rounds.”
Hearn has stated previously that his intention is for Joshua to face Whyte in a rematch in the summer. Joshua stopped Whyte in the seventh round in 2015. After that, assuming he beats Whyte, Hearn says he wants Joshua to go up against fellow former titlist Deontay Wilder at the end of the year.
Joshua is now training in Texas, presumably with Derrick James, the head coach of unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. and undisputed junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo.
Hearn said Joshua is not interested in “easy fights.”
“He don’t want any easy fights,” Hearn said. “Franklin [is] gonna be a great fight. And I’m telling you, Anthony Joshua is coming back with a vengeance in the heavyweight division.”