"AJ wants this fight bad" - Eddie Hearn walks back comments about Anthony Joshua's rematch with Dillian Whyte
Eddie Hearn has done somewhat of a U-turn on Anthony Joshua vs. Dillian Whyte.
'AJ' has been out of the ring since an April clash with Jermaine Franklin. There, Joshua scored a unanimous decision victory, snapping a two-fight losing streak to Oleksandr Usyk. Following the win, the former champion called for a rematch with Dillian Whyte.
Funnily enough, 'The Body Snatcher' is also coming off a decision win over '989 Assassin'. Whyte showed interest in the bout, and the two quickly began prepping for a late summer rematch. In December 2015, Joshua won their first matchup by knockout.
However, earlier this month, Eddie Hearn announced that the fight was off. The head of Matchroom stated that Dillian Whyte's financial demands were a key factor in the bout coming apart. Furthermore, he was already looking at other backup options for Anthony Joshua.
Now, the promoter has gone back on those comments. In a recent interview with Boxing Social, Hearn revealed that they had resolved some of Whyte's issues. However, he's unsure if it'll matter, with the promoter stating:
"The great news is now they have a contract with no rematch clause for August 12. There is absolutely nothing in the contract of any regard that is going to cause any problems, let's see. I don't think they are going to sign it, but I hope they do. AJ wants this fight bad."
Eddie Hearn reveals deadline for Anthony Joshua rematch
Eddie Hearn plans to announce Anthony Joshua's return this weekend, regardless of Dillian Whyte's involvement.
In the interview with Boxing Social, the promoter continued and revealed that there is a deadline for the bout. While there's been some internal debate amongst Joshua's team on if he'll compete before his December clash with Deontay Wilder, that talk seems over.
In the interview, Eddie Hearn revealed that Anthony Joshua will be back in August, regardless of opponent. Furthermore, the head of Matchroom added that Dillian Whyte has less than two days to sign the new contract.
If he doesn't, they have other suitable opponents on standby. Discussing Joshua's return, Hearn stated:
"It's the fight he wants but we want to announce it on Saturday, so we've got 48 hours. I don't want to put deadlines to start rattling people, but the deadline is on us to announce the fight and other opponents who we've got ready to go. I know Dillian loves a big fight and it's here for him, so hopefully he signs."