March 23, (THEWILL) – Anthony Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has admitted that the former world champion’s star power has faded in recent years.
Hearn made the comments in a recent interview in which he said that Joshua’s upcoming fight against Jermaine Franklin is “make or break” for his career. “Absolutely (it’s make or break),” Hearn said. “I am nervous about the fight. He’s coming off two defeats and we saw emotionally the position he was in after his last fight.
“He’s got a new trainer and he’s taken himself to Dallas with a very small team. He’s lost two fights on the bounce, he’s no longer a world champion, and of course, his star has fallen.”
Hearn’s comments come as no surprise, as Joshua’s popularity has waned in recent years. After losing to Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019, Joshua’s rematch with Ruiz was held in a smaller stadium than their first fight. He then left both the title and a rematch to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021, all of which have remarkably dented his popularity and damaged his star power.
Joshua’s fading star power is likely due to a number of factors, including his recent losses, his lack of charisma, and the rise of other heavyweight stars like Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder. However, Joshua is still a talented fighter and he has the potential to regain his star power if he can win his next few fights.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
