Eddie Hearn has weighed in on the change in Anthony Joshua’s style in recent fights, and admits fans have probably seen the last of the ‘old’ Joshua that thrilled them in his earlier career.
Much has been made of ‘AJ’s more conservative approach in his last few outings, with some observers of the opinion the former unified world champion has looked somewhat and tentative and gun-shy.
In an interview with Boxing Social, Hearn simply stated Joshua had evolved as a fighter, and likened the change in tactics to that underwent by Wladimir Klitschko following knockout losses to Lamont Brewster and Corrie Sanders in the early 2000s.
“He’s become better at things. Probably when he had that Klitschko fight, which was the most gruelling of his career in terms of taking punishment, I think he just realised you can’t fight like that and have a long, sustainable career.”
“If you look at the Franklin fight, his defence was really good. He caught a lot of shots on his gloves and his feet were fantastic, in and out of range.”
“He does need to be more aggressive, but Wladimir Klitschko was the same. He got stopped early in his career, and just became a smarter fighter.”
“I don’t think ‘AJ’ is going to be the same entertaining fighter you saw in the Klitschko fight. I think you’re going to see more of a boxer.”
There had been a hope in some quarters that Joshua’s link up with new trainer Derrick James would bring about a more aggressive showing in his comeback fight against Jermaine Franklin last month.
However the former Olympic gold medalist boxed his way to a unanimous decision victory at the 02 that night, in a performance that left many with more questions than answers about Joshua’s future as an elite heavyweight.