As fight fans are no doubt aware, Anthony Joshua will not be fighting Wladimir Klitschko on Dec 10. Due to, officially, a “minor” injury suffered by Klitschko, the two heavyweights will now look at fighting in the UK, in a big stadium, next spring some time. By then the 41 year-old Klitschko will not have fought for around 17 months.
In the meantime, Eddie Hearn says he is now back to square one, as far as looking to find a suitable challenger for IBF ruler AJ. Hearn told Sky Sports yesterday evening that he is now working on building a “huge card for Manchester.” After all they’ve been through, with promised big fights falling through, maybe the fans deserve a great card, stacked from top to bottom with good fights. Let’s hope Eddie can deliver. But who will it be in the opposite corner to Joshua, 17-0(17) on Dec 10?
“There’s quite a few guys from America calling him out and we have a big deal with Showtime as well,” Hearn said. “Guys like Bryant Jennings, Eric Molina, Jarrell Miller, all guys in the top 15. David Price is calling Anthony out but I don’t think he’s done quite enough. Over the next 48 hours we will make our decision I think.”
So, who would you like to see Hearn/Joshua pick from those four names? The colourfully trash-talking Miller would be an exciting choice. Miller is young, big – very big at around 296-pounds for his last fight – he can punch, he is unbeaten and he can talk, talk, talk. The pre-fight fun and games would be interesting at the very least. The hard-working Molina, who has been training in the gym for a number of weeks in the hope of landing the shot, would be a good choice. Coming off a useful away win over Tomasz Adamek, Molina is a far different fighter to the man who was stopped inside a round by Chris Arreola in 2012.
Jennings has done nothing since being hammered by Luis Ortiz last December, although at least Jennings was brave enough to have faced the avoided Cuban southpaw. Price? Well, Hearn seems to have ruled him out of the AJ sweepstakes.
For me, it’s Molina or Miller for the December fight. What a shame Joshua and his IBF mandatory Joseph Parker are no longer in talks. Parker is likely to fight fellow unbeaten Andy Ruiz Jnr, for the vacant WBO belt, in the US, also on Dec 10.
